Wild Pears? Or something cool

[ourcountryway]

Hey HT, happy new year!
So these pear trees are in South Central Virginia I have three of them. I'm guessing 30 40 50 ft tall probably 10 feet around.
Back story... I've only been on this property for 3 years the first year 2021 I moved in they had pears no bigger than a golf ball and sparse throughout all three trees at that time all three trees was surrounded by thick brush and weeds reaching out about 20/30 feet out maybe 12 ft tall at highest. So that first summer I moved in I cleared all brush and vines around two of those giant pear trees and didn't touch the other one yet the second year the pears were a little bit bigger and there was a little more of them. The pictures you see now are from this past summer 2024 where they're loaded with normal grocery store size pears.
So I'm sure this group knows more about pear trees than I do, from what I'm reading it says just wild pear. I don't know if they are true cultivar or named species but they drop hundreds and hundreds of pears now and the deer and bear come get them like candy I wish I knew more about them..
Yes I do eat them , but they have to sit in a kitchen window for at least a couple of weeks but after that they're so scrumptious and juicy the texture is definitely different from store-bought but I love it.
PS the tree i didn't clean around still only produced maybe 20 sickly looking small pears.

 

[ourcountryway]

Short Video

 

[Derek Reese 29]

You’re about to have alot of friends on this site who all will have a similar request for Scion wood from those trees..

 

[H20fwler]

You’re about to have alot of friends on this site who all will have a similar request for Scion wood from those trees..

Agree, sign me up!

What state/growing zone you in ourcountryway?
Was there an old homestead or anything in the area?

 

[ourcountryway]

Agree, sign me up!

What state/growing zone you in ourcountryway?

Zone 7b South Central Virginia.
Yeah the property that used to farm corn tobacco and soy from what I've researched about 8 years ago was the last crop.

 

[H20fwler]

The tree shown is sure big for a "wild" pear, I would think it is a second gen from some European variety like Bartlett or similar if not a planted tree from many decades ago.
Definitely sweet trees to have on the property!

 

[Native Hunter]

What timeframe do they drop to the ground?

 

[ourcountryway]

What timeframe do they drop to the ground?

These last hundred or so finished dropping at the end of Nov for the tree pictured, the other big one finished end of Octoberish not sure if that's late for whatever type this tree is. Wish I knew..

 

[Native Hunter]

These last hundred or so finished dropping at the end of Nov for the tree pictured, the other big one finished end of Septemberish not sure if that's late for whatever type this tree is. Wish I knew..

I’m of the opinion that those are not wild trees. I would say a homesteader planted them. The early droppers are likely Bartlett, and it’s a good chance the later droppers are Kieffers. Nice trees.

 

[ourcountryway]

I’m of the opinion that those are not wild trees. I would say a homesteader planted them. The early droppers are likely Bartlett, and it’s a good chance the later droppers are Kieffers. Nice trees.

Thank you , I'll research that tree

 

[Native Hunter]

Thank you , I'll research that tree

I would also guess that those trees may have been started from root sprouts rather than grafting. That was a common way of propagation back in those days. If that's the case, you could start new trees from sprouts that you find by digging them up and transplanting them to another spot in the dormant season. If I'm wrong about that you can always topwork the sprouts later on with scions from your trees. It's a no lose situation. Either way you end up with more pear trees.

 

[bigboreblr]

Very nice, Does look like it was put there by the previous owners. Besides other, grab a few rootstock and make copies for yourself. I've had a few old trees go sour on me and wish I grafted them.

Often fruit ripeness on orchards is measured with a surface pressure guage, basically how soft it is.

Relative bloom time, sometimes color of bloom, ripening date, disease issues, how fruit spurs develop, branch angles, sometimes young bark color, all these things are clue to what you may have. Flesh color, sometimes seed shape and color.

There were less catalog nurseries back then than today, stark was a pretty big one. not impossible it was one of their old varieties.

 

[ourcountryway]

Good morning and thank you for the information. I spent some time last night researching the kieffer pear and reading its description, pictures ,how the fruit taste, the skin, color , etc, I believe you guys are spot on! Ill try to find some root sprouts by the 3rd tree I havent cleared around yet and definitely a good suggestion on the scions... Thx again