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Simple bare root fruit trees and ornamental trees

Moonglow

Pyrus communis
Moonglow pears
Moonglow is listed in the RHS Plants for Pollinators

Moonglow is a high-quality early-season pear. The fruits are large with a sweet flavor, reminiscent of Bartlett and Comice from which it is descended.

As with most pears, pick slightly early and then ripen indoors. Newly-picked fruits will have some acidity and can be used at this point for cooking.

Moonglow 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

Moonglow is very resistant to fireblight, one of the most serious diseases of pears.


Recommended pollinators for Moonglow pear trees

Moonglow 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 Moonglow. If you are not sure about pollination requirements don't hesitate to ask us. More pollinators >

  • Pollinator Beth
    Beth
    An easy and reliable early-season pear, with a very good melting flavour.
  • Pollinator Conference
    Conference
    Conference is a popular and reliable English pear, well-suited to the UK climate.
  • Pollinator Gin
    Gin
    A rare English perry pear variety with good disease resistance and medium acid and tannins.
  • Pollinator Obelisk
    Obelisk
    A useful dwarf pear tree for small gardens, it grows with a tidy upright habit and is self-fertile.
  • Pollinator Sensation
    Sensation
    A red-coloured sport of the popular Williams pear, with a similar good flavour.
  • Pollinator Williams
    Williams
    Williams is a classic English pear, also known as Bartlett, with good flavour and quite easy to grow.

History

Developed in the 1960s by the US Dept.of Agriculture as part of a program to develop pears which were resistant to fireblight. Moonglow is a cross between an old variety called Roi Charles de Wurtemburg and an experimental variety called Michigan 437 which was derived from Bartlett and Comice. This parentage explains its good flavour characteristics.


Moonglow characteristics

  • Gardening skillAverage
  • Fruit persistenceNormal ripening
  • Self-fertile?Not self-fertile
  • Pollinating othersGood
  • Pick seasonEarly
  • Picking periodmid-August
  • Keeping1 week
  • Food usesEating freshCulinary
  • Country of originUnited States
  • Period of origin1950 - 1999
  • Fruit colourGreen - light

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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