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Simple bare root fruit trees and ornamental trees

Beurre Hardy

Pyrus communis
Beurre Hardy pears
Beurre Hardy has received the RHS Award of Garden MeritBeurre Hardy is listed in the RHS Plants for Pollinators

Beurre Hardy is a classic French pear from the early 19th century, which has long been popular in England.

Beurre Hardy has an excellent flavour, and the buttery melting flesh which is characteristic of the best quality French pears.

As with most high quality pears, pick when still firm / hard, and ripen indoors.

Beurre Hardy pear trees for sale

  • RF12-year bare-root tree on Quince Eline rootstock£47.95
    Mature height: 2m-3.5m after 10 years
    Can be grown on as a dwarf bush-trained fruit tree.
    Available next season
  • RF22-year bare-root tree on Quince A rootstock£47.50
    Mature height: 2m-3.5m after 10 years
    Can be grown on as a large bush-trained fruit tree.
    Available next season
  • RF32-year half-standard bare-root tree on Quince A rootstock£48.50
    Mature height: 2m-3.5m after 10 years
    Available next season
  • RF42-year bare-root tree on Pyrodwarf rootstock£49.00
    Mature height: 3m-5m after 10 years
    Can be trained on as a large pear tree, or half-standard pear tree.
    Available next season

Growing and Training

Beurre Hardy performs best in the south and east of the UK, in areas with good soils and plenty of warmth and sunlight. Provided conditions are right it is a reliable cropper and quite easy to grow.

The leaves turn a characteristic dull red in autumn.


Recommended pollinators for Beurre Hardy pear trees

Beurre Hardy is not self-fertile and is also a poor pollinator of other varieties. Ideally you need two other different but compatible varieties planted nearby in order to produce fruit, or one compatible self-fertile variety. The following varieties are good pollinators for Beurre Hardy. If you are not sure about pollination requirements don't hesitate to ask us. More pollinators >

  • Pollinator Concorde
    Concorde
    A marriage of Conference and Comice - Concorde is easy to grow, heavy crops, excellent flavour.
  • Pollinator Conference
    Conference
    Conference is a popular and reliable English pear, well-suited to the UK climate.
  • Pollinator Beth
    Beth
    An easy and reliable early-season pear, with a very good melting flavour.
  • Pollinator Obelisk
    Obelisk
    A useful dwarf pear tree for small gardens, it grows with a tidy upright habit and is self-fertile.
  • Pollinator Santa Claus
    Santa Claus
    As the name suggests, Santa Claus is a late ripening dessert pear which keeps until Christmas.
  • Pollinator Gorham
    Gorham
    A reliable early 20th century American pear, with a sweet creamy flesh.
  • Pollinator Josephine de Malines
    Josephine de Malines
    A classic 19th century winter pear with a high quality flavour.
  • Pollinator Beurre Superfin
    Beurre Superfin
    A traditional French 19th century pear, widely considered one of the best for flavour.

History

Beurre Hardy was raised by M. Bonnet, a fruit enthusiast from Boulogne in northern France, around 1820, and named after M. Hardy, a Director of the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris.


Beurre Hardy characteristics

  • Gardening skillBeginner
  • Fruit persistenceNormal ripening
  • Self-fertile?Not self-fertile
  • Pollinating othersPoor
  • Pick seasonLate
  • Picking periodmid-October
  • Keeping1 week
  • Food usesEating fresh
  • Country of originFrance
  • Period of origin1800 - 1849
  • Fruit colourRusset

You might also like these varieties

  • See also Beth
    Beth
    An easy and reliable early-season pear, with a very good melting flavour.
  • See also Concorde
    Concorde
    A marriage of Conference and Comice - Concorde is easy to grow, heavy crops, excellent flavour.
  • See also Conference
    Conference
    Conference is a popular and reliable English pear, well-suited to the UK climate.
  • See also Williams
    Williams
    Williams is a classic English pear, also known as Bartlett, with good flavour and quite easy to grow.

More about pear trees

The modern dessert pear with its refined flavours and melting flesh evolved in the 19th century, and with some exceptions almost all the pears we know today were developed at that time.

Unlike apples, which often helpfully come away in the hand when they are ripe, if you let pears ripen on the tree you will find they are overripe inside. Instead pears need to be harvested before they are ripe - then ripened in a fruit bowl. This just takes practice, and after a few seasons you will soon know the tell-tale little signs that your pears are ready for picking.


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