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Benita Rafzas® asian pear trees

Pyrus communis x Pyrus pyrifolia
Check pollinators >
  • Picking season: Early
  • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Flowering group: 2

Benita Rafzas is an unusual hybrid pear, which combines the melting sweet flavours of a classic European pear with the crisp juicy texture of an Asian or "Nashi" pear.

As with all Asian pears, the fruits actually resemble golden yellow apples, sometimes with some russet. They also have the crunchy crispness of an apple.

In the UK Benita Rafzas is likely to ripen in late August and early September - around the same time as the well-known Williams pear. The fruits can be eaten fresh, or stored in a fridge for a month or so.

Benita Rafzas asian pear trees for sale

Pot-grown

All our pot-grown trees are grown for us to our specification by the Frank P Matthews nursery.

All pot-grown trees are suitable for planting out in the garden, some are suitable for growing in containers.

  • PG12-year bush-trained 12L pot-grown tree Quince A rootstock£58.00
    Grown for us by Frank P Matthews nursery
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
    Out of stock
    Please try next season

Bare-root

  • BR11-year bare-root treeQuince A rootstock£40.50
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
    Out of stock
    Please try next season

Need help? Ask our fruit tree experts

Call us on 01759 392007 or fill in our contact form.

Tree specification

Photos of trees as supplied | Tree sizes and forms

Delivery charges

Delivery for a single tree starts at £9.95, it is calculated based on your postcode.

Growing and Training

Benita Rafzas is best treated as an Asian pear when it comes to caring for it in the garden. That means planting it in full sun and giving it plenty of space.

Cropping is generally very light in UK conditions.

It will cross-pollinate with both Asian and European pears which are in flower at the same time - it flowers near the start of the pear blossom season. It is cold-hardy and generally disease-free.

History

Benita Rafzas was developed from a late-flowering French pear (Pyrus communis) called General Leclerc, which is possibly related to the highly-regarded Doyenne du Comice. It was pollinated with the pollen of an Asian pear variety (Pyrus pyrifolia) called Hosui. It was raised by Peter Hauenstein of Rafz, Switzerland, in the 1980s. (He also developed the Rubinette apple, perhaps the best flavoured of all apples).


Benita Rafzas characteristics

Growing

  • Gardening skillAverage
  • Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
  • Flowering group2
  • Pollinating othersAverage
  • Climate suitabilityTemperate climatesWarm climates

Using

  • Picking seasonEarly
  • CroppingLight
  • Keeping (of fruit)1-2 months
  • Food usesEating fresh

Problems

  • Disease resistanceGood

Identification

  • Country of originSwitzerland
  • Period of origin1950 - 1999
  • Blossom colourWhite
  • Fruit colourYellow
  • Flesh colourWhite

Similar varieties

  • See also Kumoi
    Kumoi
    One of the most popular Asian pears, with a firm flesh and sweet flavour.
  • See also Shinseiki
    Shinseiki
    This popular Asian pear variety is well suited to the UK climate, and produces crisp sweet-flavoured pears.

British-grown trees Trees grown in the UK.

Unlike many garden centres and online retailers, the vast majority of our fruit trees are grown in the UK. Find out more.

In addition, all our trees are certified under the Plant Healthy scheme, supervised by the Plant Health Alliance. Other stakeholders include Defra and the RHS. The scheme aims to improve UK biosecurity by setting standards for all growers and retailers involved in selling plants in the UK. Find out more

Guaranteed fruit trees

When you buy your fruit tree from Orange Pippin Fruit Trees we guarantee it for the first season in your garden whilst it gets established. If it doesn't grow successfully, we'll either replace it the following season or offer a refund - subject to some conditions. Find out more.

More about asian pear trees

Asian pears belong to the species Pyrus pyrifolia and are closely related to our more common European pears (Pyrus communis). Asian pears are also known as Nashi pears, Chinese pears or Japanese pears - as the names suggest, this species originates in eastern Asia.

Despite the close relation, Asian pears have a very different character to European pears. They have a spherical shape, more like an apple than a pear. The flesh is also crisp like an apple.

The fruits are delicate and bruise easily, and hence are not often available in shops, so growing them at home is a good idea. They are usually eaten fresh (and usually peeled), and have a distinctive very sweet flavour, with little or no acidity. The pears can be stored in a fridge for a couple of months, or dried or frozen.

Like apples, and unlike most European pears, Asian pears are picked when they are ripe (European pears must usually be picked before they are ripe). Conversely, Asian pears cannot be picked before they are ripe because they will not continue to ripen after picking - another reason why these fruits are rarely available for sale.

Although the fruits may be very different, Asian pears grow in a similar way to European pears, and if you have a location which is good for European pears it will also be suitable for Asian pears. Furthermore, Asian and European pears will usually cross-pollinate if they are in flower at the same time.


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