Thorn perry pear trees

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• Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
• Flowering group: 3

Thorn is a traditional perry pear tree, with heavy crops of small yellow perry pears.

Thorn perry pear trees for sale

Growing and Training

Thorn can be pollinated by most mid-bloom pears, including Conference.

History

Thorn is an old pear variety from Gloucestershire, known from the 17th century. Originally used for eating and cooking it is now primarily considered used for perry production.

Thorn characteristics

British-grown trees

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 perry pear trees

Perry is a traditional drink made from fermented pear juice, and in recent years has enjoyed a resurgence in interest, along with its cousin cider. Perry is now sometimes called pear cider and although this is incorrect, the term seems to have made it more accessible to consumers.

As with cider apples, perry pears are used specifically for the qualities of their juice and cannot be eaten.

Perry pears are closely related to mainstream pears, and will cross-polinate with them, and both are classified in the species Pyrus communis. However it is likely that perry pears are a distinct sub-species.

If grown on seedling rootstocks perry pears can be very long-lived, as well as growing to a considerable height and spread.

Perry production has a very long history in England, but has tended to be less widespread than cider production, and until recently the vast majority of perry orchards were to be found in a small area of western England, mainly in Gloucestershire. Perry pears are also grown in the traditional French cider growing areas, but the French drink is produced in a different way to English perry.