Description
The Ayers Pear Tree is without doubt the ‘pear of the South’, combining excellent fruit quality with a very short chilling requirement and high resistance to fire blight disease. It grows well from zone 6 southwards, and produces a heavy crop of medium-sized pears that ripen from mid-August into September. The round fruit has a short neck and yellow skin, with a red blush when ripe. The flesh is sweet, juicy and free of grit, making it excellent for eating, and also for salads and the kitchen.
Blooms are white during spring, giving way to a sweet Ayers Pear, yellow with a red blush. The flesh is smooth and melting with a very sweet flavor. Don’t allow these pears to ripen while they’re still on the tree. Put them in storage where they can ripen more evenly.
The tree is vigorous, upright and fire blight resistant. The blooms are partially self-pollinating, but better crops will develop pollinating with another high chill variety like Bartlett or Blake’s Pride or another Ayers. Ripens late July to early August. The Ayers Pear will need at least 600 chill hours.
USDA Zone 5 – 8
11-16″ caliper size
