Gorham pear trees
Pyrus communis
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- Picking season: Mid
- Self-fertility: Self-fertile
- Flowering group: 4
- Awards: RHS AGM (current) 2006
Gorham is a high quality American pear, but with an all European-ancestry. Its juicy melting flesh is very typical of the best European pears of the 19th century, and it is related to both the English Williams pear and Belgian Josephine de Malines.
Gorham can perhaps best be considered an improved Williams pear. From Josephine de Malines it gets better keeping qualities and an improved flavour (even though Williams is already well-regarded for flavour).
Like Williams, Gorham is versatile - as well as being a superb dessert pear, it is also useful for cooking and bottling.
Gorham pear trees for sale
Bare-root
BR11-year bare-root tree Pyrodwarf rootstock £40.50
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
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Call us on 01759 392007 or fill in our contact form.
Next deliveries
Order now for delivery from week commencing 6th January.
Delivery charges
Delivery for a single tree starts at £9.95, it is calculated based on your postcode.
Growing and Training
Being an American pear with a European pedigree, it is perhaps no surprise that Gorham does best in dry sunny climates. It should perform well in the south-east of the UK, but elsewhere be sure to choose a sunny spot, preferably in front of a south-facing wall.
Gorham also has a very good level of disease-resistance, and its excellent pedigree ensures it is a good and reliable cropper.
The fruit size is relatively large by pear standards - provided you thin the fruitlets in late spring.
History
Gorham was raised in1910 at the famous New York State Agriculture Experiment Station at Geneva, New York - now part of Cornell University.
Gorham is a cross between Josephine de Malines and Williams, two classic old world pears. Williams, also known as Bartlett in the USA, had proved very well-suited to the North American climate and by the late 19th century was a well-established commercial variety. Williams was therefore a natural starting point for American growers, but despite being an improvement over Bartlett by virtue of its later-ripening and better keeping qualities as well as a superior flavour, it has not achieved the commercial success of its ancestor.
Gorham characteristics
- Gardening skillAverage
- Self-fertilitySelf-fertile
- Flowering group4
- Pollinating othersAverage
- Fruit bearingSpur-bearer
- Climate suitabilityTemperate climatesWarm climates
- Picking seasonMid
- CroppingGood
- Keeping (of fruit)1-2 months
- Food usesEating freshCulinary
- Disease resistanceGood
- Scab (Apple and Pear)Very resistant
- Powdery mildewSome resistance
- Fire blightSome susceptibility
- Country of originUnited States
- Period of origin1900 - 1949
- 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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