Pyrus balsanae
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Perennial (hardy)
- Exposure
- Full sun
- Frost limit
- −23.3 °C
Cultivation
Prefers a good well-drained loam in full sun. Hardy to about -15°c. Plants are growing and fruiting well at Kew Botanical Gardens[K].
Propagation
Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the autumn, it will then usually germinate in mid to late winter. Stored seed requires 8 - 10 weeks cold stratification at 1°c and should be sown as early in the year as possible. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse for their first year. Plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year.
Edible uses
Fruit - raw or cooked. A reasonable size, to 2.5cm. The flesh is rather hard and harsh, though it becomes soft and sweet when bletted and then makes a very good dessert fruit[K].
Habitat
Forests and shrub thickets.
Native range
W. Asia - Caucasus.