Callery pear

Callery pear: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Medium-sized tree with a narrow, conical to ovoid crown; up to about 12 m tall and 6 m wide.

Leaf

Ovate to broadly elliptic, 4–8 cm, with a finely scalloped margin; glossy dark green, turning red, orange to purple late in autumn.

Flower

White flowers 2–3 cm across in clusters in March–April, before or with the leaves. They smell unpleasant.

Fruit

Small, round brown pears about 1 cm across, hard and not worth eating.

Shoots

Wild forms sometimes carry thorns; the cultivated varieties are usually thornless.

Flowering: March–April · Plants: March–April and October–December · Pruning: December–February

Why grow it?

• An abundant white display in March–April, when little else is in flower: welcome for early bees.
• Late, long-lasting autumn colour in red, orange and purple.
• A narrow, regular crown: suitable for streets, drives and smaller gardens.
• Tolerates drought, paving and urban air well.
• Glossy, healthy-looking leaves all summer long.

Callery pear: where does it grow best?

• Sun or partial shade; it flowers most freely and colours best in full sun.
• Any well-drained soil: sand, loam or clay, neutral to chalky.
• Dry to moist: once established it tolerates drought well.
• Do not plant it right next to a terrace or window: the flowers smell unpleasant.
• Allow 5–6 m of space; as an avenue tree, 6–8 m apart.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

12 m tall, 6 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -28 °C)

Goes well with

• Glory-of-the-snow: Blue stars beneath the white blossom in March.
• Daffodil: Flowers at the same time as the tree and fills the base with yellow.
• Ornamental grass: Swaying stems under the narrow crown, lovely with the autumn colour.
• Michaelmas daisy: Purple and blue flowers next to the red autumn leaves.

Callery pear: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–December.

1. Plant in March–April or from October to December, when the soil is not frozen or waterlogged.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and loosen the bottom; mix some compost into the excavated soil.
3. Set the tree at the same depth as it was in the pot or nursery; the graft union stays above the soil.
4. Drive in an angled stake on the windward side and tie the trunk loosely.
5. Firm the soil well and water straight away with a few buckets.
6. Keep a circle of about 1 m free of grass around the trunk and cover it with mulch.

Care

Water

For the first two years, water regularly in dry spells. After that it is rarely needed.

Feeding

Usually unnecessary. A layer of compost in spring is enough.

Clear base

In the first years, keep the soil around the trunk free of grass and weeds.

Formative pruning

On a young tree, keep one continuous leader and choose side branches with a wide angle: it will be less likely to split later.

Fruits

Leave them for the birds; they drop during the winter.

Tip: Plant it some distance from the terrace or front door: from afar the white blossom is magnificent, close up the smell is less pleasant. On a young tree, ensure one continuous leader and wide branch angles.

Callery pear: when to prune it?

Pruning months: December–February.

When: While dormant, from December to February, on a dry, frost-free day.

How:

• Remove dead, diseased, damaged or crossing branches.
• On a young tree, remove competing leaders so that one continuous trunk remains.
• Remove branches with a very sharp, narrow angle: they split off easily later.
• Otherwise prune as little as possible; the narrow shape is natural.

Caution: Disinfect your tools when cutting out diseased branches, so as not to spread fire blight.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Grafting

Cultivars are grafted in winter or budded in summer onto a seedling of the species; it is a job for professionals.

Seed

Sow the seed in autumn in a pot outdoors; it germinates after the winter cold. Seedlings differ from the cultivars and may be thorny.

Callery pear: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −28 °C.

• Very hardy, to about −28 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• The leaves often hang on into November, which extends the autumn colour.
• Heavy wet snow or ice can break branches on cultivars with narrow angles; shake heavy snow off a young tree.

Diseases and pests

• Fire blight: Flowers and shoots suddenly blacken and shrivel as if scorched, often with a hooked tip. Cut back well into healthy wood, disinfect tools and dispose of the wood.
• Split branches: In storms or heavy snow, branches with a narrow angle tear away. Formative pruning on a young tree ensures wide branch angles.
• Pear rust: Orange spots on the leaves in summer. The fungus overwinters on certain junipers; do not plant them nearby and clear up affected leaves.
• Aphids: Curled leaves at the shoot tips in spring. Ladybirds usually deal with them; otherwise spray off with water.

Through the year

• January: Winter pruning on a dry, frost-free day.
• February: Finish winter pruning.
• March: White blossom begins. Plant.
• April: Flowering. Plant. Water young trees in dry spells.
• May: Watch for aphids.
• June: Water young trees in dry spells.
• July: Watch for rust and fire blight.
• August: Water during prolonged drought.
• October: Autumn colour begins. Plant.
• November: Full autumn colour. Plant.
• December: Plant in mild weather. Winter pruning.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The species is named after Joseph-Marie Callery, a French missionary who collected plants in China in the 19th century.
• In the early 20th century the plant hunter Frank Meyer collected Callery pear seed in China for the US Department of Agriculture, which was looking for a rootstock more resistant to fire blight.
• In America ‘Bradford’ was planted on a huge scale. Through crossing with other cultivars it set seed and the species ran wild on a massive scale; some states now ban its sale.