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Sold out. This strain of Asian pear originally comes from Mt. Wolchulsan in South Korea as well as other places where there are wild non hybridized oriental pears prior to cultivation and selection by people. This non-grafted strain produces small 1-2 inch, tart round fruit that can be made into juice, jam, or even cider.
Recently, a study completed by CISRO, an Australian research organization, found that drinking the juice of this species pear reduced hangover severity by 21 percent. This study followed a group of studies with similar findings. You won't find these pears in the supermarket, so growing your own wild pear is the way to go. Like the crabapple of pear, this species is tart and astringent. As the fruit ripens on the tree, it will eventually drop in the green stage in early August and finish on the ground if left there. The wonderful aroma from the ripening fruit can be experienced several hundred feet away from the two trees we have. Usually by September first the fruits are all down. They can be collected off the ground or the trees can be shaken to bring them down earlier. The longer they stay on the tree, the better as this improves the flavor and its attributes. Meaning its tannins and minerals are very high and has a strong flavor difficult to eat fresh off the tree if not impossible.
It is hard to imagine this pear is edible as it is much more like a crabapple of the pear tree with a little sweetness and lots of bitter sharp compounds. It is thought these compounds are also responsible for its health benefits. I have found it makes a wonderful jelly and worth growing just for this use.
A secondary use of this pear is to use it as a rootstock. The amazing drought resistance is off the charts. It originally comes from a mountain in South Korea that has many interesting plants growing in the crevices of it that are thought to be the precursors of todays modern fruit varieties. This is one of them. It is one of the best fruiting pears at my farm and sets a record for the number of fruit per tree. Processing the seeds takes a while as the amount of pulp I have to go through to get the seeds is also amazing.
To germinate the seeds:
| Plant Specs | |
| Genus & Species | Pyrus pyrifolia |
| Seed Source | Michigan, Range in Mt. Wolluchan, Korea |
| Hardiness | -25F or more. |
| Height (ft) | 30 |
| Width (ft) | 50 |
| Pollination Requirements | Self fertile species pear. |
| Ease of Cultivation | Super easy to establish highly drought tolerant pear species. Once established other pears could easily be grafted to it as well as its use for fruit production for juice production for specialty drinks. |