Louise Bonne of Jersey
Pyrus communis Louise Bonne is an old French pear variety, with a surprisingly modern "bi-coloured" appearance - the yellow/green skin usually has an attractive red flush. As a bonus the blossom is also more attractive than most pear varieties (and has some resistance to frost damage).
Louise Bonne was rated by the Victorian fruit enthusiast Robert Hogg as "A most delicious pear" - a description which is just as valid today. The flesh is sweet and melting, with a pronounced pear flavour.
Judging the right time to pick can be tricky, but keep a close eye on it from late August onwards (in the south of the UK, a bit later further north) and pick the pears when they are flushed but still quite hard - then ripen in a fruit bowl.
Louise Bonne of Jersey pear trees for sale
RF11-year bare-root
tree
on Quince A rootstock£38.25
Mature height: 2m-3.5m after 10 years
Can be trained on as a large bush-trained or half-standard tree, or a large fan or espalier.
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
Growing and Training
Louise Bonne is a reliable cropper and can be grown in most situations as long as it gets shelter and full sun.
It flowers early in the pear blossom season, typically 10-12 days ahead of Conference.
Recommended pollinators for Louise Bonne of Jersey pear trees
Louise Bonne of Jersey 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 Louise Bonne of Jersey.
If you are not sure about pollination requirements don't hesitate to ask us.
More pollinators >
BethAn easy and reliable early-season pear, with a very good melting flavour.
ConferenceConference is a popular and reliable English pear, well-suited to the UK climate.
Glou MorceauA traditional 18th century Belgian pear with a notably rich sweet flavour.
InvincibleInvincible is a high quality pear which can also cope with difficult conditions.
History
This pear originated in Avranches, Normandy, France in the 1780s, where it was known as Bonne Louise or Louise d'Avranches. It was soon taken to Jersey in the nearby Channel Islands, and from there became popular in Victorian England, where it was known as Louise Bonne de Jersey.
Louise Bonne of Jersey characteristics
- Gardening skillAverage
- Fruit persistenceNormal ripening
- Self-fertile?Not self-fertile
- Pollinating othersAverage
- Pick seasonMid
- Picking periodmid-September
- Keeping1 week
- Food usesEating fresh
- Country of originFrance
- Period of origin1750 - 1799
- Fruit colourOrange flush
You might also like these varieties
BethAn easy and reliable early-season pear, with a very good melting flavour.
ConcordeA marriage of Conference and Comice - Concorde is easy to grow, heavy crops, excellent flavour.
ConferenceConference is a popular and reliable English pear, well-suited to the UK climate.
WilliamsWilliams 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.
