Ornamental pears for year-long interest

A tree for all seasons

The Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) is a deciduous species of pear native to China and Vietnam. Leaves are generally oval, long, and glossy dark green in colour. They produce white flowers like blossum abundantly in early spring each year creating a stunning wonderland affect if planted en masse. Some people consider the odour of these flowers to be unpleasent but that is a very minor flaw in an otherwise beautiful and highly useful ornamental landscape tree.

Ornamental pear trees produce fruits but they are small and hard, testament to the fact that these trees are not grown for their fruit.   In summer, the foliage is dark green and very smooth, and in autumn, when temperatures cool, their foliage commonly turns a range of brilliant colors, ranging from yellow and orange to more commonly red, pink, purple, and bronze.

There are a number of cultivars that are now grown commercially with slight differences in shape and form. All varieties offer the year-round charm of an ornamental pear and all display the unique features that define this wonderful tree genus.

Their open and upright structure lends well to their use in formal settings, such as along city streets, shopping centres, office parks, and industrial parks. With great form, pretty leaf shape, white spring flush and brilliant autumnal foliage from March through May depending on climate, they offer something for every season.

Pyrus calleryana 'Capital' above. For our range, click the image

Our growing range has been selected to offer 'best in type' based on performance, shape and size. For gardens where space is confined, Pyrus calleryana 'Capital' is a great selection as it is more fastigiate than others with a span between 1-3 metres. Pyrus calleryana 'Cleveland Select' has a wider spread at between 3-6m making this selection suitable for grand avenue plantings. Both of these selections grow to 11 metres tall.

A favourite of ours is Pyrus ussuriensis or Manchurian Pear as it grows more open and oval shaped at 9 metres tall by 7 metres wide. This is a popular and beautiful tree particularly planted as a single specimen where its shape, colour, flower and leaf can be fully appreciated.

Our other Pyrus selections offer a more rounded form. Another calleryana species called 'Winter Glow' grows in a similar way to Pyrus ussuriensis in that it has lateral branching rather than the ascending, upright growth of both 'Capital' and 'Cleveland Select'.  Officially deciduous, its bronzed leaves tend to hold to the tree rather than drop like the other selections. Shorter at around 8 metres tall by 4 metres wide it is probably not as ornamental as the others mentioned but it is the earliest of all our Pyrus to flower. 'Winter Glow' has enormous scope for large, dense screening in landscapes with some space.

Lastly we have Pyrus 'Nivalis' (Snow Pear) growing 8 metres tall by 5 metres wide. This tree has a narrower leaf resembling that of a willow. Maybe plainer in looks to all the others, Nivalis is denser growing which makes it suitable for screening.