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Simple bare root fruit trees and ornamental trees

Josephine de Malines

Pyrus communis
Josephine de Malines pears
Josephine de Malines has received the RHS Award of Garden MeritJosephine de Malines is listed in the RHS Plants for Pollinators

Josephine de Malines is a traditional winter pear, noted for its high quality flavour and excellent keeping qualities.

Pick the pears as late as possible, and then keep them in a fridge or cold garage. Bring them indoors to ripen in a fruit bowl.

Josephine de Malines pear trees for sale

  • 1-year bare-root tree on Pyrodwarf rootstock£40.50
    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

Josephine de Malines is a weak-growing variety, and therefore best grown on the more vigorous rootstocks and/or in rich soils. It is however an excellent cropper - and a good example of the apparent contradiction that weak-growing varieties can nevertheless crop heavily.

The tree is hardy and reliable and will survive in most conditions. However for fruit production it is important to note that Josephine de Malines is a very late-ripening variety and therefore is best grown in areas where warm dry weather persists into late autumn.


Recommended pollinators for Josephine de Malines pear trees

Josephine de Malines is not self-fertile, so you will need another different but compatible variety planted nearby in order to produce fruit. The following varieties are good pollinators for Josephine de Malines. If you are not sure about pollination requirements don't hesitate to ask us. More pollinators >

  • Pollinator Beurre Superfin
    Beurre Superfin
    A traditional French 19th century pear, widely considered one of the best for flavour.
  • 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 Fondante d'Automne
    Fondante d'Automne
    An old fashioned French pear with a notably sweet flavour.
  • Pollinator Onward
    Onward
    Onward is high quality dessert pear, related to Doyenne du Comice but easier to grow.
  • Pollinator Santa Claus
    Santa Claus
    As the name suggests, Santa Claus is a late ripening dessert pear which keeps until Christmas.
  • Pollinator Williams
    Williams
    Williams is a classic English pear, also known as Bartlett, with good flavour and quite easy to grow.

History

This variety was raised in the 1830s by fruit enthusiast Major Esperen from Malines in northern Belgium, who named his new variety after his wife Josephine.


Josephine de Malines characteristics

  • Gardening skillAverage
  • Fruit persistenceNormal ripening
  • Self-fertile?Not self-fertile
  • Pollinating othersAverage
  • Pick seasonVery late
  • Picking periodlate October
  • Keeping1-2 months
  • Food usesEating fresh
  • Country of originBelgium
  • Period of origin1800 - 1849
  • Fruit colourGreen / Yellow

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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