Callery Pear
Pyrus calleryana
Family: Rosaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: White. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Pyramidal, Rounded.
Pyrus calleryana is a deciduous Tree growing to 15 m (49ft) by 15 m (49ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in leaf from April to November, in flower in May, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.
Height (m): 15
Where it is found
Thickets and streamsides to 1500 metres. Slopes, plains, mixed valley forests and thickets at elevations of 100 - 1800 metres.
E. Asia - China, central and southern Japan.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Fruit - raw or cooked. Best used after it has been exposed to frost, since this will soften and sweeten the flesh. The fruit is about 25mm in diameter.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
This species is widely used as a rootstock, especially for cultivars of Pyrus pyrifolia. It is said to induce earlier bearing. The wood of this species is hard and close-grained, and is sometimes used for making furniture and stools.
Rootstock: Plants used as the rootstock for grafting scions onto.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
Espalier: A tree or other plant that is trained to grow flat against a support (such as a trellis or wall).
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Espalier, Firewood, Screen, Specimen, Street tree. Prefers a good well-drained loam in full sun. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Tolerates light shade but does not fruit so well in such a position. Tolerates atmospheric pollution, excessive moisture and a range of soil types if they are moderately fertile. Established plants are drought tolerant. Grows well on acid soils. Plants are hardy to about -40°c when they are fully dormant. There are many named forms selected for their ornamental value. The cultivar 'Bradford' is resistant to fireblight. Resists fireblight, collar rot, root aphis, pear psylla and root lesion nematodes. Trees have a short dormancy period and lose their leaves late in the season. Special Features: Not North American native, Naturalizing, Blooms are very showy.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the autumn, it will then usually germinate in mid to late winter. Stored seed requires 8 - 10 weeks cold stratification at 1°c and should be sown as early in the year as possible. Temperatures over 15 - 20°c induce a secondary dormancy in the seed. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse for their first year. Plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Canopy; Secondary;
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 5-9
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist