Josephine de Malines pear trees
Pyrus communis
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- Picking season: Very late
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
- Flowering group: 4
- Awards: RHS AGM (current) 1993
Josephine de Malines is a traditional winter pear, noted for its high quality flavour and excellent keeping qualities.
Pick the pears as late as possible, and then keep them in a fridge or cold garage. Bring them indoors to ripen in a fruit bowl.
Josephine de Malines pear trees for sale
Bare-root
BR11-year bare-root tree Pyrodwarf rootstock £40.50
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
Need help? Ask our fruit tree experts
Call us on 01759 392007 or fill in our contact form.
Next deliveries
Order now for delivery from week commencing 25th November for pot grown trees or December for bare-root or mixed tree orders.
Delivery charges
Delivery for a single tree starts at £9.95, it is calculated based on your postcode.
Growing and Training
Josephine de Malines is a weak-growing variety, and therefore best grown on the more vigorous rootstocks and/or in rich soils. It is however an excellent cropper - and a good example of the apparent contradiction that weak-growing varieties can nevertheless crop heavily.
The tree is hardy and reliable and will survive in most conditions. However for fruit production it is important to note that Josephine de Malines is a very late-ripening variety and therefore is best grown in areas where warm dry weather persists into late autumn.
History
Raised in the 1830s by fruit enthusiast Major Esperen from Malines in northern Belgium. This city is today more usually known by its Flemish name Mechelen. The Major named his new variety after his wife Josephine.
Major Esperen is also thought to have raised the green gage Reine Claude de Bavay, which is probably the most widely-planted of all green gages.
Josephine de Malines characteristics
- Gardening skillAverage
- Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
- Flowering group4
- Pollinating othersAverage
- Fruit bearingPartial tip-bearer
- Climate suitabilityTemperate climatesWarm climates
- Picking seasonVery late
- CroppingHeavy
- Keeping (of fruit)1-2 months
- Food usesEating fresh
- Disease resistanceAverage
- Scab (Apple and Pear)Some resistance
- Country of originBelgium
- Period of origin1800 - 1849
- Blossom colourWhite
- Fruit colourGreen / Yellow
- AwardsRHS AGM (current)
British-grown trees 
Unlike many garden centres and online retailers, the vast majority of our fruit trees are grown in the UK.
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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.
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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.
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