Summercrisp European Pear

Summercrisp is popular for being cold-hardy and resistant to fire blight. Aptly named, as Summercrisp pears ripen relatively early in the summer, and are best eaten when crisp - they don't need to go through a post-harvest ripening to soften up, like some other pears do.

Fruit: Ripe mid-August. Medium-sized with a mild sweet flavour. Harvest when green; best stored in refrigerator to delay yellowing, and eaten while crisp.

Uses: Like all pears, Summercrisp has many edible uses, is great for pollinators, and is beautiful and ornamental. Best for fresh eating, not canning.

Disease resistance: Strong resistance to fire blight, a deadly disease of pears and other pome fruits.

Pollination: Requires cross-pollination with a different pear cultivar. Read my article on fruit tree pollination for more information. Known as a strong pollenizer for other European and Asian pears. 

Parentage: Unknown, but believed to be a hybrid of Pyrus communis (the common European pear species) and Pyrus ussuriensis (an Asian pear species). Discovered in the 1930s as a chance seedling. Tested for disease resistance by the University of Minnesota and released in 1985.

Rootstock: OHxF 87.