Pears from the Past
Preserved at NCGR-Corvallis

(Adapted from: Postman, J.D. 1992. Pears from the past preserved for posterity. Fruit Varieties Journal 46(4):255-262.)

The pear originated on the Eurasian continent, and has been cultivated for thousands of years. Approximately 250 cultivars over 100 years old are among the 1000 cultivars being maintained today at the Clonal Germplasm Repository in Corvallis. The links below provide brief descriptions of cultivars in the NCGR collection that we know to have originated before 1850.

Pears Originating Before 1600

Pears Originating from 1600 - 1700

Pears Originating from 1700 to 1800

Pears Originating from 1800 to 1850

More detailed desrciptions and photographs of some of our most ancient cultivars.