Pear Trees
Pear trees offer crisp, refreshing fruit that can be enjoyed fresh, canned, or baked into desserts. With their elegant shape and glossy green leaves, they make a beautiful addition to the landscape. Many pear varieties are well-suited to Florida’s climate, providing reliable harvests and long-lasting enjoyment year after year.
Asian Pear
Asian Pear is well suited for USDA Growing Zones 9A and 9B—ideal for St. Augustine and Northeast Florida gardens. Asian pears are crisp, juicy, and round like apples, with sweet, refreshing flavor. Trees are vigorous and productive, perfect for Florida’s warm climate.
- Chill hours: ~250–400 (varies by cultivar)
- Pollination: Needs a compatible Asian pear (e.g., ‘Hosui’, ‘Shinseiki’) for best crops
- Ripening (FL): June–August (varies by cultivar)
- Uses: Fresh eating, salads, dehydrating, light canning
Bartlett Pear
Bartlett Pear is well suited for USDA Growing Zones 9A and 9B—ideal for St. Augustine and Northeast Florida gardens. 'Bartlett' pears are classic yellow-green fruit with smooth texture and excellent flavor. Best grown with a pollinator and ideal for fresh eating or canning.
- Chill hours: ~700–900
- Pollination: Requires a European-type pollinator (e.g., ‘Kieffer’, ‘Orient’); not self-fertile
- Ripening (FL): July–August (North FL only; inconsistent further south)
- Uses: Fresh eating, canning, baking
Hood Pear
Hood Pear is well suited for USDA Growing Zones 9A and 9B—ideal for St. Augustine and Northeast Florida gardens. 'Hood' is a low-chill pear ideal for Florida, producing large, smooth fruit with mild, sweet flavor. It’s an early producer and highly disease resistant.
- Chill hours: ~100–200
- Pollination: Benefits from ‘Flordahome’, ‘Pineapple’, or ‘Kieffer’ nearby
- Ripening (FL): June (early)
- Uses: Fresh eating, salads, sauces
Hosui Pear
Hosui Pear is well suited for USDA Growing Zones 9A and 9B—ideal for St. Augustine and Northeast Florida gardens. 'Hosui' is a popular Asian pear with bronze skin, crisp texture, and rich, juicy sweetness. Early-bearing and well-suited to Florida’s warm conditions.
- Chill hours: ~300–400
- Pollination: Needs another Asian pear (e.g., ‘Shinseiki’, ‘Ichiban Nashi’) for best set
- Ripening (FL): June–July
- Uses: Fresh eating, crisp salads, dehydrating (holds texture)
Keiffer Pear
Keiffer Pear is well suited for USDA Growing Zones 9A and 9B—ideal for St. Augustine and Northeast Florida gardens. 'Keiffer' pears are hardy, productive, and adaptable, with firm flesh great for cooking or preserving. A favorite Southern variety for reliability and flavor.
- Chill hours: ~200–300
- Pollination: Partially self-fertile; heavier crops with ‘Pineapple’, ‘Orient’, or ‘Hood’
- Ripening (FL): August–September (late)
- Uses: Canning, baking, preserves; firm texture holds up to cooking
Oriental Pear
Oriental Pear is well suited for USDA Growing Zones 9A and 9B—ideal for St. Augustine and Northeast Florida gardens. 'Oriental' pear trees produce large, soft-fleshed fruit with sweet flavor and smooth skin. A good pollinator and vigorous grower in warm regions.
- Chill hours: ~300–400
- Pollination: Pollinate with ‘Kieffer’, ‘Pineapple’, or ‘Hood’; not self-fertile
- Ripening (FL): July–August
- Uses: Fresh eating, canning, juicing (soft, sweet flesh)
Pineapple Pear
Pineapple Pear is well suited for USDA Growing Zones 9A and 9B—ideal for St. Augustine and Northeast Florida gardens. 'Pineapple' pear is named for its unique tropical flavor with pineapple-like notes. Tough, disease-resistant, and one of the best pears for Southern climates.
- Chill hours: ~150–250
- Pollination: Partially self-fertile; best with ‘Kieffer’, ‘Hood’, or ‘Orient’
- Ripening (FL): July–August
- Uses: Fresh eating, canning, preserves (distinct flavor)