![]() | Himalayan Pear - Pyrus pashia Family Rosaceae - Rose Family; Fruit Trees The fruit of this unassuming tree has become the focus of many a snakeoil salesman Tree Encyclopedia | Trees Index | Crabapples | Nut Trees | Fruit Trees Index |
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Himalayan Pear is found in the Himalaya, from Afghanistan to SW China and Burma, at altitudes of 750-2700 m. Flowering: March-April. It grows best in full sun but will tolerate partial shade. Likes and well-drained soil but is easily adapted to various stressors, including acidic and alkaline Ph, restricted growth space, pollution, drought, and pruning. This tree is very hardy and used to growing in very poor soils. The fruit is rather gritty and sour-tasting; not the sort of fruit tree you'll want if you're thinking about the squishy variety you serve with cottage cheese. And speaking of which, a cottage industry in bullshit has arisen around the fruit of the Himalayan pear. There are numerous off and online snakeoil salesmen touting its alleged "ability to prevent the growth of colon polyps." Wikipedia actually cited some blogger who'd spammed the references in the article. (Yes, I edited it.) There are no credible scientific studies backing up any of these claims. Anecdotal evidence, yes. |

This is an 86-year-old Himalayan pear, one of Joy Morton's original grown-from-seed plantings at his estate / arboretum. |

Pear has fine-grained wood pink to yellow in tone. It is prized for woodwind instruments and its veneer is used for fine furniture. Pear has one of the finest of textures of the fruitwoods, and was often used in making instruments such as lutes, recorders and - because of its hardness - the jacks of harpsichords. |
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Family Rosaceae - Rose Family; Fruit Trees Containing hawthorn, apple, pear, cherry, plum, peach, almond, mountain-ash and whitebeam. Many of these plants are of vital economic importance. The Rosaceae contain a great number of fruit trees of temperate regions, the fruit of which contain vitamins, acids, and sugars and can be used both raw and for making preserves, jam, jelly, candy, wine, brandy, cider and other beverages. Tree Encyclopedia | Tree Index | Fruit Tree Index |