Packham's Triumph
Pyrus communis Packham's Triumph is a 19th century Australian pear, which produces abundant crops of well-flavoured golden-green pears.
It is hardy and easy to grow, but benefits from a sheltered sunny position.
Packham's Triumph 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
As might be expected of an Australian pear variety, Packham's Triumph likes a sheltered position, a dry climate, and plenty of sun. If these requirements are met it is easy to grow and a heavy and reliable cropper.
Whilst it is usual to pick pears in the UK slightly under-ripe to allow ripening in a fruit bowl, you may want to experiment with letting Packham's Triumph ripen on the tree.
Fruit size can be slightly small if the tree is allowed to set too heavy a crop - if this happens, thin the fruitlets in June.
Packham's Triumph is particularly suitable for cross-pollination with Josephine de Malines, and also the Asian pear variety Nijisseiki.
Recommended pollinators for Packham's Triumph pear trees
Packham's Triumph 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 Packham's Triumph.
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.
GinA rare English perry pear variety with good disease resistance and medium acid and tannins.
SensationA red-coloured sport of the popular Williams pear, with a similar good flavour.
WilliamsWilliams is a classic English pear, also known as Bartlett, with good flavour and quite easy to grow.
History
Packham's Triumph was developed by Charles Packham of Molong, New South Wales, Australia, in the 1890s. Packham was a commercial grower and this was a period of dramatic expansion of the New South Wales orchard industry. The new variety's reliable cropping and good keeping qualities made it an immediate success.
Packham's Triumph inherits its flavour from the well-known and high quality Williams Bon Chretien pear, also known as Bartlett.
Its other parent is a rare variety called Uvedale's St. Germain which was found in England in the 17th century, although it may have been imported from France. This pear, primarily used as a culinary variety, appears to have contributed long keeping and reliability to the mix.
Packham's Triumph characteristics
- Gardening skillAverage
- Fruit persistenceFruit drops when ripe
- Self-fertile?Not self-fertile
- Pollinating othersAverage
- Pick seasonLate
- Keeping1-2 months
- Food usesEating fresh
- Country of originAustralia
- Period of origin1850 - 1899
- Fruit colourGreen - light
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.
