Pyrus nivalis — Edible Plant Database

What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked, though its sour flavour makes it best suited to cooking or brewing into cider or perry. It matures late in the season and measures 3–5cm long.

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant. It suits hardiness zones 5-9. Arboretum Tasmania.

Asia, Australia, Austria, Balkans, Bolivia, Bulgaria, China, Czech, Europe*, France, Hungary, Italy, Mediterranean, Romania, Slovenia, Switzerland, Tasmania, Yugoslavia,

Countries: Andorra, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Austria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, Belarus, Switzerland, China, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Algeria, Estonia, Egypt, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Georgia, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Iceland, Italy, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Libya, Morocco, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Malta, Maldives, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, San Marino, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Taiwan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A small tree. It grows 9 m high and spreads 6 m wide. The branches curve upwards and do not have thorns. The leaves are oval or egg shaped and have smooth edges. The flowers are white. They appear as the young leaves open. The fruit are small and rounded. They are yellowish-green.

How to Grow

Prefers a good well-drained loam in full sun. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Tolerates light shade but does not fruit so well in such a position. Tolerates atmospheric pollution, excessive moisture and a range of soil types if they are moderately fertile. Established plants are drought tolerant. Plants are hardy to at least -15°c. A very ornamental plant.

Propagation: Seed is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in autumn, when it will typically germinate in mid to late winter. Stored seed requires 8–10 weeks of cold stratification at 1°C and should be sown as early in the year as possible. Temperatures above 15–20°C can induce a secondary dormancy. Prick out seedlings into individual pots once large enough to handle, and grow on in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse through their first year. Plant out in late spring or early summer the following year.

Medicinal Uses

None known

Other Uses

None known

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Pyrus nivalis, commonly known as yellow pear or snow pear, is a species of tree in the family Rosaceae that grows naturally from South-East Europe to Western Asia. Like most pears, its fruit can be eaten raw or cooked; it has a mild sour taste. The fruit is picked in October, when it is still dry and unripe; it will not become soft and sweet until the end of November or December, hence the name snow pear (German: Schneebirne). The plant is very colorful and may grow up to 10 meters tall and 8 meters wide. It is a very hardy plant that is able to survive with a small supply of water and can brave very high/low temperatures. It may hybridize with other pears, producing, for example, Pyrus austriaca in a cross with Pyrus pyraster.

Names & Synonyms

Zimska hruška

References (7)

Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 1119
Fl. austriac. 2:4, t. 107. 1774
Hibbert, M., 2002, The Aussie Plant Finder 2002, Florilegium. p 244
http://www.botanic-gardens-ljubljana.com/en/plants
Hu, Shiu-ying, 2005, Food Plants of China. The Chinese University Press. p 450
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
Ryan, S., 2008, Dicksonia. Rare Plants Manual. Hyland House. p 50