Oregon · Washington · Idaho
When to plant Asian pear trees
Plant in the garden: Portland and Seattle Mar 1 – Apr 26; Spokane Apr 1 – May 27; Boise Mar 20 – May 15; Bend Apr 28 – Jun 23.
Your dates in
Asian pears, sometimes called apple pears, are grown for round, crunchy fruit that's juicy and sweet with a mild flavor, eaten fresh. Depending on the variety, they keep for weeks to months in the fridge. Common varieties include Shinseiki, Hosui and Chojuro.
Puts Asian pear trees on your free plan, with dates for your town and a spot in your beds.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Sun
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 12 to 15 feet apart (semi-dwarf)
- Planting depth
- Graft union 2 to 3 inches above the soil
- Frost
- Very hardy once dormant; blossoms can be hit by late frost
- First harvest
- First fruit in three to five years
Crisp, juicy pears that ripen on the tree, unlike European pears. Most need a second Asian or European pear nearby that blooms at the same time, and the young fruit needs thinning or you'll get lots of small pears.
Asian pear planting dates
| Towns | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|
| Portland, OR, Seattle and Tacoma, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
| Spokane, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 |
| Boise and Meridian, ID | Mar 20 – May 15 |
| Bend and Redmond, OR | Apr 28 – Jun 23 |
| Astoria, OR | Mar 25 – May 20 |
Dates for six main cities. For any of the other 80 towns, type it in the box at the top of the page or browse all towns.
| Gresham, OR, Oregon City and West Linn, OR, Portland, OR, St. Helens and Scappoose, OR, Wilsonville and Canby, OR | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
|---|---|
| Hillsboro and Beaverton, OR | Mar 5 – Apr 30 |
| Corvallis and Albany, OR, Eugene, OR, Salem, OR | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
|---|---|
| Cottage Grove, OR | Mar 13 – May 8 |
| McMinnville and Newberg, OR | Mar 4 – Apr 29 |
| Ashland and Talent, OR | Mar 25 – May 20 |
|---|---|
| Grants Pass, OR, Medford, OR, Roseburg, OR | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
| Astoria, OR, Brookings and Gold Beach, OR, Coos Bay and North Bend, OR, Newport and Lincoln City, OR, Tillamook, OR | Mar 25 – May 20 |
|---|
| Bend and Redmond, OR, Klamath Falls, OR | Apr 28 – Jun 23 |
|---|---|
| Burns, OR | Apr 30 – Jun 25 |
| Lakeview, OR | Apr 23 – Jun 18 |
| Madras, OR, Prineville, OR | Apr 20 – Jun 15 |
| Baker City, OR, Enterprise and Joseph, OR, John Day, OR | Apr 20 – Jun 15 |
|---|---|
| Hermiston, OR, Hood River, OR, Ontario, OR, Pendleton, OR, The Dalles, OR | Mar 20 – May 15 |
| La Grande, OR | Apr 1 – May 27 |
| Bremerton and Port Orchard, WA, Everett, WA, Kent, Renton and Auburn, WA, Seattle and Tacoma, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
|---|---|
| Olympia, WA | Mar 18 – May 13 |
| Shelton, WA | Mar 16 – May 11 |
| Anacortes, WA, Bellingham, WA, Friday Harbor and the San Juans, WA, Mount Vernon and Burlington, WA, Oak Harbor and Whidbey Island, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
|---|
| Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WA, Forks, WA, Long Beach and Ilwaco, WA | Mar 25 – May 20 |
|---|---|
| Port Angeles, WA, Port Townsend, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
| Sequim, WA | Mar 10 – May 5 |
| Centralia and Chehalis, WA | Mar 11 – May 6 |
|---|---|
| Longview and Kelso, WA, Vancouver, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
| Chelan, WA, Wenatchee, WA | Mar 20 – May 15 |
|---|---|
| Leavenworth, WA, Omak and Okanogan, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 |
| Winthrop and Twisp, WA | Apr 3 – May 29 |
| Ellensburg, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 |
|---|---|
| Ephrata and Quincy, WA, Moses Lake, WA, Sunnyside, Grandview and Prosser, WA, Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland), WA, Walla Walla, WA | Mar 20 – May 15 |
| Goldendale, WA | Apr 7 – Jun 2 |
| Yakima, WA | Mar 27 – May 22 |
| Colville, WA, Pullman, WA, Spokane, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 |
|---|
| Bonners Ferry, ID, Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls, ID, Sandpoint, ID | Apr 1 – May 27 |
|---|
| Lewiston, ID | Mar 20 – May 15 |
|---|---|
| Moscow, ID | Apr 1 – May 27 |
| Boise and Meridian, ID, Emmett, ID, Nampa and Caldwell, ID | Mar 20 – May 15 |
|---|---|
| McCall, ID | May 11 – Jul 6 |
| Burley and Rupert, ID, Idaho Falls, ID, Pocatello, ID, Rexburg, ID, Twin Falls, ID | Apr 1 – May 27 |
|---|---|
| Salmon, ID | Apr 20 – Jun 15 |
Asian pear year at a glance
| Task | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | Mar | Apr | ||||||||||
| Harvest | Aug | Sep | Oct | |||||||||
| In bloom | Mar | Apr |
Around Portland. Colder towns, especially east of the Cascades, run a few weeks later; the table above has your town's planting dates. Harvest months are for an established plant.
How to grow Asian pear trees
- Pick a sunny spot with soil that drains well, and mix in an inch or two of compost.
- Plant Asian pear trees on your city's dates, 12 to 15 feet apart (semi-dwarf). Graft union 2 to 3 inches above the soil.
- Water deeply through the first two summers. Plant a second variety that blooms at the same time unless a neighbor grows one.
- Harvest: Unlike European pears, Asian pears ripen on the tree. Pick when the skin turns yellow or golden-brown and the fruit tastes sweet; they keep for weeks in the fridge.
Growing Asian pear trees in your part of the Northwest
The same plant behaves differently on the wet west side, the foggy coast and the dry, colder east side.
West-side valleys
Willamette Valley, Puget Sound, southern Oregon
Asian pears grow well on the west side. Fire blight is the main disease, and thinning fruit to one per cluster gives larger pears.
East of the Cascades
Columbia Basin, Yakima, Boise, Spokane, north Idaho
Asian pears grow well with steady irrigation. Thin fruit early and keep leaves healthy so they shade fruit from sunburn.
More Asian pear varieties
More widely sold picks that do well somewhere in the Northwest. The tag says which part of the Northwest suits each one best.
Shinseiki
Crisp, mild and juicy, and partly self-fertile. One of the most reliable Asian pears in home gardens.
Both sides
Chojuro
Bronze, russeted fruit with a rich, almost butterscotch flavor. Stores well.
Both sides
Hosui
Very juicy, sweet, golden-brown fruit. A top-rated flavor, and a good pollinator for others.
Both sides
20th Century
Also called Nijisseiki: crisp, tart-sweet and partly self-fertile. Needs thinning to size up.
Both sides
How much to grow
How many to plant
Plant two varieties, or one near a European pear that blooms at the same time.
What to expect
A mature tree gives roughly 2 to 4 bushels when thinned.
Storing the harvest
Keep in the fridge for one to three months.
Key numbers
- 3–5Years to fruit
- Needs a partnerPollination
- August–SeptemberHarvest
- Fire blightBiggest risk
Top care tip: Thin young fruit to one per cluster every year for bigger pears and a steady crop.
Growing notes
What makes the difference in Northwest gardens, in plain language.
Pollination
Most Asian pears need a second variety that blooms at the same time. Another Asian pear works, and so do many European pears like Bartlett. Shinseiki and 20th Century are partly self-fertile but still crop better with a partner.
Asian pears bloom early, so late spring frosts can damage the flowers. Planting on a slope where cold air drains away helps.
Thinning for good fruit
Asian pears tend to set far more fruit than the tree can size up. About three weeks after bloom, thin each cluster to one fruit, spacing them about 6 inches apart. It feels harsh, but you'll get bigger, sweeter pears and a crop every year.
Prune in late winter to keep the tree open. Semi-dwarf trees, 12 to 15 feet tall, are the easiest size for home gardens.
Harvest and fire blight
Unlike European pears, which ripen off the tree, Asian pears ripen on the tree. Pick when the color changes and the fruit tastes sweet. They're crisp, juicy and keep for weeks in the fridge.
Fire blight is a bacterial disease that blackens shoots as if burned. Cut infected shoots 8 to 12 inches below the damage on a dry day, and disinfect pruners between cuts. Avoid heavy nitrogen fertilizer, which drives the soft growth blight attacks.
Good neighbors
Good neighbors
- Another Asian or European pear. Cross-pollination.
Pests and problems
What most often goes wrong with Asian pear trees in Northwest gardens, how to spot it and what to do.
Fire blight
Signs: Blackened, curled shoot tips.
What to do: Cut well below the damage on a dry day.
Overcropping
Signs: Small fruit and broken branches.
What to do: Thin to one fruit per cluster, about 6 inches apart.
Pear psylla
Signs: Sticky honeydew and black sooty mold on leaves.
What to do: Dormant oil in winter and encouraging natural predators.
Common questions about growing Asian pear trees
When should I plant Asian pear trees in Oregon, Washington and Idaho?
Plant in the garden: Mar 1 – Apr 26 in Portland and Seattle, Apr 1 – May 27 in Spokane, Mar 20 – May 15 in Boise and Apr 28 – Jun 23 in Bend. Pick your town at the top of the page for your own dates.
Do Asian pears need a pollinator?
Most do. Plant a second Asian pear or a European pear like Bartlett that blooms at the same time.
When are Asian pears ripe?
Usually August into September in the Northwest. Taste one: when it's sweet and the color has changed, the tree is ready.
Why are my Asian pears so small?
The tree set too much fruit. Thin to one fruit per cluster a few weeks after bloom.
See what else to plant in March or April.
Apple trees
Pear trees
Plum trees
Cherry trees
Peach trees
Fig trees
Hazelnut trees
Persimmon trees
Quince trees
Mulberry trees