Louisiana Pear Tree Varieties

Louisiana's climate is relatively semitropical, with heavy rainfall and humidity. Many varieties of pear do well in the region, but a potential problem is fire blight, a bacterial infection that affects pear trees and is easily spread in damp, humid conditions. Varieties of pear that are highly resistant to fire blight do best in Louisiana.

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Moonglow is a variety of pear that has a high resistance to fire blight. Growing to a height of 10 to 15 feet with a spread of 8 to 12 feet, it produces a medium-sized fruit with a soft red blush and a smooth, juicy white flesh. Moonglow makes an excellent dessert fruit. It ripens in August to early September.

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Kieffer is an older variety of pear that is popular due to its wide range of uses, including desserts, preserves, canning and baking. Growing to a height of 10 to 15 feet with an 8 to 12 feet spread, it is very resistant to fire blight. Kieffer ripens in late September to October and bears a long medium to large fruit with a red blush and a crisp, coarse white flesh.

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Highly resistant to fire blight, Orient produces a dessert-quality medium to large fruit that is russeted with a coarse-textured, cream-colored flesh. It is good eaten fresh or used for canning. Orient grows to a height of 12 to 20 feet with an equal spread. The fruit ripens in late August to September.

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Ayers, sometimes referred to as the "Sugar Pear," grows to a height of 15 to 20 feet. It produces a medium-sized russeted fruit that has a very sweet flesh, and is good as a dessert fruit and for drying to use in fruitcake. Ayers ripens in August, and is highly resistant to fire blight.

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