Sand Pear, Chinese pear
Pyrus pyrifolia

Family: Rosaceae

What it is like

Pyrus pyrifolia is a deciduous Tree growing to 10 m (32ft 10in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in April, and the seeds ripen in September. 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. 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): 10

Where it is found

Warm rainy regions at elevations of 100 - 1400 metres in China. Naturalized in low mountains and around villages in C. and S. Japan.

E. Asia - China.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

Fruit - raw or cooked. Hard and gritty. Firm crisp and juicy when fully ripe, they are eaten out of hand or used in fruit salads, pies or baked etc. The fruit is up to 3cm long. Up to 5cm in another report. The average yield from wild trees in the Himalayas is 83kg per year, though some trees yield up to 200kg. The fruit contains about 4.9% sugars, 3.2% protein, 0.9% pectin.

Medicine

Rating: 1

Antiseptic, astringent, febrifuge, nervine, pectoral.

Antiseptic: Preventing sepsis, decay or putrefaction, it destroys or arrests the growth of micro-organisms.

Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.

Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.

Nervine: Stimulates and calms the nerves.

Pectoral: Relieves respiratory diseases, a remedy for chest diseases.

Other

Rating: 0

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

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. Plants are hardy to at least -15°c. A parent of the cultivated Asian pears. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water. The root pattern is branching: a heart root, dividing from the crown into several primary roots going down and out .

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:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Asian pear

Synonyms

P. serotina. Rehd.