D'Anjou Pear
Pear variety
D'Anjou is the winter pear - an egg-shaped, stay-green keeper that stores until spring, with juicy mild flesh brightened by a lemony edge; the pear that stocks fruit bowls from December to April.
Where Bartlett is the pear of late summer, D'Anjou (Beurré d'Anjou) is the pear of winter: picked in early fall, it wants a month of cold before it will ripen at all, and then doles itself out from cold storage until Easter. Plump, short-necked and green even when ripe, it is the second pillar of a home pear planting - the one you're still eating when the snow melts.
Fruit & flavor
Large, egg-shaped and stubby-necked, staying green when ripe (check the neck, not the color); the flesh is very juicy, mildly sweet with a fresh citrus lift. Excellent fresh, in salads, and poaches without collapsing.
Tree size & rootstocks
Vigorous, upright; 3.5-4 m on quince-compatible stock, big on seedling. Slower into bearing than Bartlett - patience for 4-5 years.
Pollination
Effectively self-sterile: plant with Bartlett or Bosc, which also spreads your harvest across three months.
Climate & hardiness
Zones 5-8, slightly hardier than Bartlett; blooms early like all pears, so avoid frost pockets.
Site & soil
Full sun, deep soil, steady moisture - big juicy fruit needs water in late summer. Otherwise standard easy pear culture.
Pruning & care
Same light-touch pruning as all pears (fireblight respect); spread young limbs toward horizontal to tame the upright habit and speed first crops.
Harvest & storage
Pick hard-mature in September-October - then here's the trick: D'Anjou requires 3-6 weeks of chilling before it CAN ripen. Store in the fridge; bring fruit out in batches all winter, ripening each on the counter until the neck yields. Keeps 4-6 months.
Problems
Standard pear list - fireblight, psylla, scab - none worse than average. The main 'problem' is gardeners waiting for it to turn yellow: it never does.
FAQ
My Anjous sat on the counter for two weeks and never ripened - why?
They skipped their cold requirement. Refrigerate them a month, then counter-ripen; they'll soften in 3-5 days.
How do I tell a ripe one while it's still green?
Press gently at the stem end - when that neck flesh yields slightly, it's ready, regardless of color.
🌦️ Varieties behave differently by region, rootstock and season - ripening months here assume a mid-temperate northern-hemisphere garden. Check local nursery guidance for your exact climate, and never rely on a single source for spray decisions.