Perry pear trees
Pear cider or Perry is an increasingly popular drink, produced from traditional perry pear trees.
Barland
Barland is a traditional English perry variety, first known in the 17th century.Brandy
A mid-season English perry pear which produces a low-tannin juice.- Gardening skill: Average
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
- Pollination group: 3
- Uses: Hard cider
Butt
Butt is a traditional English perry pear, with medium acidity and medium tannins.- Gardening skill: Average
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
- Pollination group: 3
- Uses: Juice
- Uses: Hard cider
Gelbmostler
A large perry pear with astringent juice and a grainy texture, thought to originate from Switzerland.- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
- Pollination group: 4
Gin
A rare English perry pear variety with good disease resistance and medium acid and tannins.- Gardening skill: Average
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
- Pollination group: 3
- Uses: Hard cider
Hendre Huffcap
A well-known English perry pear variety, and a reliable cropper. Makes a light, low-tannin perry.- Gardening skill: Beginner
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
- Pollination group: 3
- Uses: Hard cider
Winnals Longdon
A traditional English perry pear variety, which produces a low tannin perry.- Gardening skill: Average
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
- Pollination group: 3
- Uses: Juice
- Uses: Hard cider
Yellow Huffcap
A popular English perry pear which produces a good quality low-tannin / medium-acid perry.- Gardening skill: Average
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
- Pollination group: 3
- Uses: Hard cider
How to choose Perry pear trees
Perry is a traditional drink made from fermented pear juice, and in recent years has enjoyed a resurgence in interest, along with its cousin cider. Perry is now sometimes called pear cider and although this is incorrect, the term seems to have made it more accessible to consumers.
Perry pears are closely related to mainstream pears, and will cross-polinate with them, and both are classified in the species Pyrus communis. However it is likely that perry pears are a distinct sub-species.
If grown on seedling rootstocks perry pears can be very long-lived, as well as growing to a considerable height and spread.