Pyrus pyrifolia 'Olympic'
Common Name(s):
- Description
-
‘Olympic’ is a hybrid Asian Pearin the rose family (Rosaceae) with good fire blight resistance.
Olympic grows 12 to 15 feet tall and wide and requires 400 chill hours. Plant in full sun and well-drained, moist to dry soils. It is heat and humidity-tolerant and drought-tolerant once established. It will need to be planted with another variety for pollination. Here is an NC State guide for growing fruit in NC.
The spring blooms give way to large, round fruit with dark brown russet skin in October, which can weigh up to a pound each. The pear is crisp and juicy with a high sugar content and a good shelf life.
Asian pears are grown commercially or in the home edible garden.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Diseases include Pseudomonas shoot blight, rust disease, blossom rot, pear scab, and blossom wilt. Insects include codling moths, aphids, pear blister mite, pear midge, pear slug, caterpillars, and cherry slugworm. Deer will browse the tree.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Pyrus
- Species:
- pyrifolia
- Family:
- Rosaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Grafting
- Wildlife Value:
- Pollinators are attracted to the flowers. Mammals will eat the fruits.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 12 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
-
-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- High
- Texture:
- Coarse
-
-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12-24 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
-
-
Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Pome
- Fruit Length:
- > 3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- > 3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- The pear is large and round with dark brown russet skin, maturing.in October. It can weigh up to a pound each. The pear is crisp and juicy with a high sugar content and a good shelf life.
-
-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Umbel
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Cup
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Description:
- The five-petaled white flowers bloom in April to early May for a full week even during inclement spring weather. They bloom in clusters of five or more on spurs before the leaves.
-
-
Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Orange
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- 2.7 to 4 in. alternate simple, lance-shaped leaves with entire or finely toothed margins. They are lustrous dark green in summer and yellow, orange or red in the fall.
-
-
Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Dark Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Furrowed
- Scaly
- Bark Description:
- Smooth grayish to brown bark, becoming fissured and scaly with age
-
-
Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gray/Silver
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Bud Terminal:
- Only 1 terminal bud, larger than side buds
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- Smooth, greyish-to-brown bark on young branches. Mature branchlets are purplish brown or dark brown, buds are oval and scales have hairs at the margins.
-
-
Landscape:
- Landscape Theme:
- Edible Garden
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
- Problems:
- Frequent Disease Problems
- Frequent Insect Problems
