Josephine Pear

Josephine Pear (Pyrus communis 'Josephine') is the late season dessert pear for gardeners who want fruit worth waiting for. It grows to about 4m tall and 3m wide, holds a neat upright shape without much work from you, and colours warmly in autumn before the leaves drop. The fruit ripens late and stores well, so one tree keeps producing eating pears long after the early varieties are finished.

Why you'll love it

• A pear that stores. Josephine matures late and holds in a cool spot for weeks after picking, which is unusual in a home garden pear and the main reason to choose it.
• Manageable size. About 4m by 3m with normal pruning, so it suits a back garden rather than an orchard block.
• Two seasons of interest. Clean white blossom in spring, then genuine autumn colour before the tree goes bare for winter.
• Cold and wind hardy. Frost hardy and wind tolerant, so exposed southern and inland gardens suit it well.

Where it works best

Small gardens. One pear gives blossom, shade and fruit from a footprint of about 3m. Leave 2m of clearance from a fence so you can get around it with a ladder.

Summer shade. The upright branching is tidy enough for a lawn specimen, and the canopy shades a seating area then lets winter sun through.

Alongside a pollinating partner. Josephine needs a compatible pear flowering at the same time. Williams or Beurre Bosc are the standard choices, planted 4m away.

Growing Josephine Pear in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, at least six hours, with air movement to keep the foliage dry. This is a cool temperate and warm temperate tree that needs proper winter chill to flower evenly, so subtropical and tropical gardens are not suited.

Soil. Pears forgive heavier ground than most fruit trees, but they still want drainage. Deep loam is ideal, slightly acid to neutral. Dig compost through the backfill, mound the hole on clay, and mulch 75mm deep.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first two summers, then water through dry spells and while the fruit is sizing. A complete fertiliser in late winter and a light second feed after fruit set is all it asks.

Pruning. Prune in winter on bare wood. Build an open framework of four or five main limbs, remove anything crossing or growing inward, and leave the short fruiting spurs alone because they crop for several years.

What to expect when it arrives

This pear is currently grown in one size, a 45L tree, supplied on backorder rather than stocked year round. At 45L you are buying an advanced tree with a formed framework and real height on delivery, not a whip that needs three years of training.

It is deciduous, so a tree despatched in winter may arrive bare. That is normal and it travels better that way. Expect a quiet first season, a light crop in the second or third year, and full production from about year four. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every tree is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to plant and care for fruit trees
• Browse the full fruit tree range
• Fruiting trees chosen for home gardens
• Getting started with winter pruning

Common questions

Does Josephine Pear need a pollinator?

Yes. It sets very little fruit on its own and needs a compatible pear flowering at the same time. Williams and Beurre Bosc are the reliable partners, and either will crop for you in its own right.

Where in Australia will it grow well?

Cool temperate and warm temperate gardens. It needs winter chill to flower properly, so it suits the southern states, the tablelands and cooler inland districts, and is a poor choice for subtropical coastal gardens.

Can I keep it smaller than 4m?

Yes. Annual winter pruning holds it at 2.5m to 3m and keeps the fruit within reach from the ground. Josephine also trains well as an espalier along a wall or fence if space is tight.