The Best Ornamental Pear Trees
“Pyrus calleryana is simply a marvel. One finds it growing under all sorts of conditions; one time on dry, sterile mountain slopes; then again with its roots in standing water at the edge of a pond; sometimes in open pine forest, then again among scrub on blue-stone ledges in the burning sun; sometimes in low bamboo-jungle … and then again along the course of a fast flowing mountain stream or in the occasionally burned-over slope of a pebbly hill.”
Those are the words of Frank N. Meyer (1875-1918) in a letter to David Fairchild, head of the United States ‘Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction Office’. This was late 1916 and Meyer was on a mission to “search of things good for man”. His famed exploits took him all over Asia, with multiple border crossings into China, where he first encountered the ‘Callery Pear’. It made quite the impression, as it would on landowners over the following decades, as they added different suitable cultivars to their properties.
It’s easy to see why the old America favoured these trees too. They can take to most soil, thrive in most conditions, and almost certainly improve the beauty of any landscape. Indeed, the decision isn’t really one of whether the Callery Pear is right for your landscape, but rather which one is best. In which case, you might appreciate the below and either of the trees highlighted will almost certainly add beauty to your garden.
PYRUS calleryana ‘Aristocrat’ - Ornamental Pear
A wonderful example of one the famed American cultivars, the ‘Aristocrat’ has a broad, pyramidal crown with horizontal branches. In Spring, those branches are full with a profusion of the most gentle whites, the Spring bloom becoming the very essence of freshness. The leaves are a deep green for much of the year but turn wine red and even purples, as Autumn moves through to Winter.
- Deciduous. Hardy for windy, dry and cold conditions
- Suitable for street or avenue planting
- Can grow up to 15m
Photo: PYRUS calleryana ‘Aristocrat’ - Ornamental Pear in 35/45L container, 2.5-3m height, 5+ years old. Also available in 16L, 80L and 135L container.
PYRUS calleryana 'Candelabra' - Upright Ornamental Pear
Glossy and dark green, the leaves are dense and grow on branches which grow upright in a columnar habit. The small white flowers presented in Spring are favoured by bees. Then as the weather turns, so do the leaves, hues of orange and red bringing some quite startling colour to overcast days. Grows in most soil conditions.
- Deciduous, hardy and very wind tolerant
- Suitable for street or specimen planting
- Can grow up to 6x3m
Photo: PYRUS calleryana ‘Candelabra’ – Upright Ornamental Pear in 80L container, 3m+ height, 7+ years old. Also available in 30L container 2.5m height, 4 years old.
