Willow-leaved pear

Willow-leaved pear: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Small deciduous tree, 4–6 m tall and about 4 m wide. In ‘Pendula’ the branches hang in a dome almost to the ground.

Leaves

Narrow and lance-shaped, 4–9 cm long, like willow leaves. Silvery white and downy when young, later grey-green; no notable autumn colour.

Flowers

White flowers about 2 cm across in small clusters in April, with striking dark red stamens.

Fruit

Small, hard, green-brown pears of 2–3 cm. They are not good to eat and are purely ornamental.

Roots

Deep and strong: once established, the tree copes well with drought.

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

Why grow it?

• Silver-grey foliage from April until leaf fall: a calm, light accent among dark green shrubs.
• White blossom in April, valuable for bees and other pollinators.
• It stays small, so it fits a smaller garden or front garden, as a specimen or as the centrepiece of a border.
• Once established it is very drought tolerant, and it copes well with wind and urban air.
• The weeping form ‘Pendula’ has a graceful, rounded outline that gives structure even in winter, without leaves.

Willow-leaved pear: where does it grow best?

• Full sun: that is where the foliage is most silvery and the crown stays compact.
• Any well-drained soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Dry to moist; it does not like wet, compacted soil where water stands.
• Allow a space at least 4 m wide. The weeping form looks best as a specimen in a lawn or in a border.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

6 m tall, 4 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Lavender: Silver-grey foliage and purple flowers in the same sunny, dry spot.
• White shrub roses: A classic white garden pairing: the silver pear as a light backdrop for white roses.
• Lamb’s ears: A soft, silver-grey groundcover at the edge of the crown.
• Globe thistle: Steel-blue globes that stand out well against the silver leaves.
• Crocus: Flowers in February–March under the still bare branches.

Willow-leaved 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 neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and loosen the bottom with a garden fork.
3. Drive in a stake on the windward side first, so you do not damage the roots later.
4. Set the tree at the same depth as it grew in the nursery: the graft union stays above the soil.
5. Backfill with the soil you dug out, firm it well and water straight away with 20–30 litres.
6. Spread a mulch of compost or wood chips around the base, keeping it away from the trunk.

Care

Watering

For the first two summers, water generously once a week in dry spells. After that it rarely needs extra water.

Feeding

A spadeful of compost in spring is enough. Too much nitrogen gives soft wood that is more prone to disease.

Stake

Check the tree tie every spring so that it does not cut into the trunk. The stake can come out after 2–3 years.

Suckers

On a grafted weeping tree, upright shoots sometimes appear on the stem or from the rootstock. Cut them off straight away, even in summer.

Mulching

Keep a circle of 1 m around the trunk free of grass and mulch it: a young tree establishes much better.

Tip: Plant ‘Pendula’ as a specimen in the lawn or as the centrepiece of a white border and thin it a little every winter: the dome then stays light and silvery instead of becoming a dense mop.

Willow-leaved pear: when to prune it?

Pruning months: January–February.

When: In winter, in January and February, when the tree is bare and you can see the branch framework clearly.

How:

• First remove dead, diseased and crossing branches.
• Thin the dense dome of ‘Pendula’ a little every year: take out some of the oldest hanging branches to let light and air into the crown.
• Shorten branches that are too long to just above a bud, so the dome stays just clear of the ground.
• Remove upright water shoots and suckers from the rootstock.
• For a taller weeping tree, let one strong shoot grow upright and tie it to a cane: this builds a new top.

Caution: Prune in dry weather and disinfect your secateurs between trees: this reduces the risk of fireblight, which spreads through wounds and tools.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Grafting

Cultivars such as ‘Pendula’ are grafted onto a pear rootstock in late winter. This is nursery work; it is easier to buy a grafted tree.

Seed

The species can be raised from seed: sow fresh pips in autumn in a pot left outdoors, so they get the winter cold. Seedlings grow slowly and vary in shape.

Willow-leaved pear: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −30 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• Give a young tree a sturdy stake and tie to prevent damage in winter storms.
• Winter is when you see the framework of the weeping form best: the ideal time to prune.

Diseases and pests

• Fireblight: Flowers and young shoots suddenly wilt and turn black, as if scorched; the tips bend over like a shepherd’s crook. Cut out affected branches well into healthy wood, disinfect your secateurs and dispose of the prunings, not on the compost heap.
• Pear rust: Orange spots on the leaves in summer, with warty growths on the underside. The fungus overwinters on certain junipers; keep those away and clear up affected leaves.
• Aphids: Curled, sticky young leaves in spring. Ladybirds and earwigs usually deal with them; otherwise hose them off with water.
• Overcrowded crown: A weeping tree that is never pruned becomes a dense mop with dead wood inside. Thinning a little every winter keeps it airy and silvery.
• Wet feet: In wet, compacted soil it grows poorly and branches die back. Choose a well-drained spot or plant slightly raised.

Through the year

• January: Prune: thin and shape. Check the tree tie.
• February: Last pruning before the buds break.
• March: Plant. Add compost around the base.
• April: Blossom and new silver leaves. Plant.
• May: Watch for aphids. Remove suckers.
• June: Water young trees in dry spells.
• July: Water in dry spells. Watch for fireblight and pear rust.
• August: Remove water shoots and suckers.
• October: Plant. The little pears drop.
• November: Plant. Leaf fall.
• December: Plant in mild weather. Rest.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• In the famous White Garden at Sissinghurst in England, a weeping willow-leaved pear plays a central role.
• The name salicifolia means ‘with willow leaves’: Salix is the Latin name for willow.
• The silvery sheen on the leaves comes from fine hairs that reflect sunlight and reduce water loss: an adaptation to dry, sunny slopes.