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  • $100 minimum order
  • Our trees are organic

Characteristics of the tree

Height at maturity
10 meters (35 feet)
Spacing
6 meters (20 feet)
Soil
Well drained
Sun / shade
Full sun
Flowering
Mid-May
Harvest
Early September
Average fruit weight
107
Fruit color
Greenish yellow
Years to bear
7
Self-fertile
Latin name
Pyrus 'Lorraine'
Average diameter of fruit
5.1 cm
Organic

Lorraine is a self-fertile and productive pear tree, hardy in zone 4. It produces a tasty, melt-in-your-mouth pear with a taste very similar to Bartlett. It is harvested in September, and is perfect for fresh eating.

Height at maturity
10 meters (35 feet)
Spacing
6 meters (20 feet)
Soil
Well drained
Sun / shade
Full sun
Flowering
Mid-May
Harvest
Early September
Average fruit weight
107
Fruit color
Greenish yellow
Years to bear
7
Self-fertile
Latin name
Pyrus 'Lorraine'
Average diameter of fruit
5.1 cm
Organic

The Lorraine pear tree produces a yellow-green pear, lightly tinted with a red  blush where it is exposed to direct sunlight. The pears are long with a long stem, and they are larger when the fruit is thinned. They weigh about 100g on average.

The flesh is yellowish, juicy and aromatic. It melts under the tooth when the pear is at its peak ripeness. It is sweet and delicious, and overall tastes very similar to Bartlett, with a slightly coarser texture.

The pears are ready to harvest in early September. The fruit ripen all at the same time, and tend to fall from the tree as they do so. As is the case for so many pears, they must be picked before they are mature, as they ripen from the inside out.

The pears can be stored for about one month in cold storage.

The Lorraine pear tree is self-fertile, very productive and moderately resistant to fire blight and scab.

Lorraine came as a gift from our acquaintance, the late Jean-François Hébert, originating from his  productive and dependable 60-year-old tree.

Pear trees have a very vigorous and upright growth habit; becoming taller than apple trees (10 m/35 ft in height at maturity) but spreading less wide (6 m/20 ft) Their height can be controlled somewhat with rigorous pruning, but only to a certain degree. All going well, these trees will live for about 200 years, providing fruit for several future generations.

You should note that this illustration is meant only to give a general indication of what you can expect, and the growth of your tree might look somewhat different. The development of a tree depends on the soil type, irrigation, fertilisation and climatic conditions.

The evolution of a pear tre

All our pear trees are sold bare-root, without pots. They have been cultivated directly in the soil, and are taken out of the ground to be shipped to you during their period of dormancy. Bare-root trees do not take up much space, and can be therefore shipped by mail all over Canada!

Pear trees have a naturally small root system – do not be surprised if your pear tree seems to have fewer roots compared to the other trees you receive! This photo shows a 3-foot-tall pear tree, similar to one you would receive. Depending on the height that you select when you order a pear tree, it could be smaller (1-2 feet) or taller (3-5 feet).

Poirier à racines nues

Our pear trees are propagated by grafting, on rootstock that we produce at the nursery. For pear cultivars that are hardy in zone 3, we use Pyrus ussuriensis rootstock for its vigour and hardiness (zone 2, growing in Alaska). For cultivars that are hardy in zone 4, our rootstock consists of either Pyrus ussuriensis, or seedling pear trees born from the trees in our orchard in zone 4.

Grafting on full-size rootstocks

About half of the pear trees we offer are self-fertile and can produce fruit on their own, though they will always give better yields with a pollinator. The rest are self-sterile, and cannot produce fruit without pollination from a different cultivar. Therefore, if you only have space for one tree, you might want to use the filter to see only self-fertile cultivars.

Provided it is grown in good conditions and properly cared-for, your pear tree will begin to bear fruit by around 5 years on average, although this can vary depending on your location and the fertility of your soil. Be sure to also have a look at our articles on how to plant and care for your growing tree!

Pear tree pollination bloom