Side by side
Pear or wild pear? How to tell them apart
Pyrus communis · Pyrus pyraster
How to tell them apart – pear: large, sweet pears and twigs without thorns; wild pear: thorny wild pear with glossy, long-stalked leaves and small, hard pears.
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How do you recognise them?
- Pear
- Fruit tree with glossy, roundish leaves on long stalks, white blossom and pears.
- Compared with wild pear: large, sweet pears and twigs without thorns.
- Wild pear
- Thorny wild pear with glossy, long-stalked leaves and small, hard pears.
| Pear | Wild pear | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, round to oval with a pointed tip, 3–8 cm, finely toothed and glossy; long leaf stalk. | Alternate, 2–7 cm, round to oval, finely scalloped or almost untoothed, glossy and hairless; the leaf stalk is about as long as the blade. |
| Flowering | White flowers with red anthers in April, a little earlier than apple (April). | White flowers with purplish-red anthers, in April, before or with the leaves (April–May). |
| Fruit | Pears. | Round to pear-shaped fruits 1.5–3.5 cm long, yellowish-brown, hard and astringent, with grit cells; edible only once bletted. |
| Bark | Dark grey, cracked into small square blocks. | Dark grey to blackish, cracked into small square blocks; short shoots with thorny tips. |
| Shape and height | Fruit tree, 4–15 m | Broadleaf tree, 8–20 m |
| Site | Full sun, any garden soil, normal | Full sun, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | No, naturalised | Yes |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for bees and birds | – |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | July–August and December–March | November–March |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Wild pear is native: it feeds more insects and birds than a non-native species. If in doubt, choose this one.
- Wild pear grows 8–20 m tall: too big for an ordinary garden, but fine in a large garden, a park or a meadow.
Read on
- Plant profile: Pear
- Plant profile: Wild pear
- Pear: when and how to prune
- Wild pear: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.