Patten Pear Tree
- Zone 3
Characteristics of the tree
Patten is a rather large pear, typically pear-shaped with a very long stalk. The skin is thin and light yellow-green in colour, with brown lenticels, and the flesh is white.
The pear is one of the last pears to ripen, being ready to harvest at the end of September. After harvesting, its flavour and texture both develop over time.
At the time of harvest, the pear is firm and crunchy; sweet but without a great deal of flavour. It becomes softer in texture and develops more flavour over time, and is at its best about one month after the harvest date. At this time it is still firm in texture but melts in the mouth, and it is quite sweet with a lovely mild flavour, no astringency: a delight to eat fresh.
Patten also keeps rather well, conserving its flavour and texture for about three months in cold storage. It is at its best when used for fresh eating, being somewhat too soft to be ideal for canning purposes. We have also used it in baking and in juice with good results.
The Patten tree is hardy up to zone 3b. It is also moderately resistant to fire blight. It is self-sterile and needs another variety of pear tree nearby for pollination, but it also produces a lot of flowers and is a good pollinator for other pear trees.
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.
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).
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.
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!
