North Star Orchard • Pears

Asian Pears and Pears

North Star Orchard currently grows 7 varieties of Asian pears and 8 varieties of European pears! The following alphabetized list includes details of those varieties that have borne fruit. Those without information are young trees, and we will update this list with information as it becomes available.

For more information about Asian pears, please read our FAQ page, or read the "Asian Pears" article that appeared in the University City Review.

Please note: We do not ship fruit at this time. Our fruit can be purchased at weekly farmers' markets in our area, or through membership in our CSA Fruit Share.

Asian Pears

Atago: Very large, reddish in color. Mildly sweet and crispy, with hints of walnut. Japanese variety. Late October.

Hosui: Medium sized, firm, sweet, melt in your mouth texture. Japanese variety. Late August.

Ichiban: Medium sized, rich flavor. Sweet, with hints of butterscotch. Early August.

Niitaka: Large, quite crispy, sweet and juicy. Has a more mild, somewhat nutty flavor. Japanese variety. October.

Olympic: Very large, crisp/crunchy, very sweet and juicy. Korean variety. Early October.

Shinsui: Small, crisp, and super-sweet. Japanese variety. Early August.

Yoinashi: Medium sized, crisp and sweet with hints of butterscotch. Japanese variety. Mid-September.

European Pears

Bella de Guigno: (Not fruiting yet)

Blake's Pride: Sweet, with nice texture. Early September.

Delight (Harrow Delight): Small fruit with luscious sweet flavor. Buttery texture - melts in your mouth. An incomparable early pear! Late July.

Delicious: Flavor similar to Bartlett, but not grainy at all. Early September.

Harrow Sweet: (Not fruiting yet)

Harvest Queen: very similar to Bartlett, but slightly smaller fruit.

Magness: A cross of Seckel and Comice, combining the best of both parents. When fully ripened, this is one of the best flavored European pears. Late September.

Potomac: (Not fruiting yet)

Seckel (sugar pear): Very small and very sweet. Can be eaten crunchy, or allowed to soften. Early September.

Ubileen: (Not fruiting yet)