Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Pineapple Pear
Pineapple Pear is a low-chill pear with large, crunchy fruit that carries a hint of pineapple. It needs only about 150 chill hours, well under a normal Valley winter. White flowers open in spring, and the yellow fruit with a red blush ripens in late summer. It sets fruit on its own and is known for resisting fire blight.
Best for: a backyard pear for mild winters, crunchy fruit with a pineapple flavor, and a spring-flowering fruit tree.
Pineapple Pear needs only about 150 chill hours, and most of the Valley gets 300 to 400 in a normal winter. Varieties that need less than 400 hours give a crop almost every year here.
The large yellow fruit has a red blush and a crisp, crunchy bite with a pineapple flavor. It ripens by late summer and is good fresh or cooked.
It is self-fertile, so a single tree bears fruit. It grows about 15 to 20 feet tall, and winter pruning keeps it easier to pick.
It ripens in late summer, so the fruit hangs through the hottest months. Paint the trunk white to prevent sunburn, and cover ripening fruit, since birds find it first.
- Tree to tree20 ft apart
Water a new tree often while it roots in. Once established, soak the root zone at least 18 inches deep, and up to about 3 feet, about every 1 to 2 weeks while it grows. In winter, water about once a month.
Prune in late winter while the tree is dormant, before the buds break. Remove crossing, dead and inward branches.
Feed in early spring as the tree wakes up, again in May before the heat, and again in September.
Paint the trunk with white tree paint to prevent sunburn. Birds find ripe fruit first, so net the tree or bag the fruit before it ripens.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Will Pineapple Pear grow in the Valley?
Yes. It needs only about 150 chill hours, and most of the Valley gets 300 to 400 in a normal winter. Low-chill varieties like it give a crop almost every year here.
Does it need a second pear tree?
No. It is self-fertile, so one tree sets fruit on its own.
What does it taste like?
The fruit is large, crunchy and yellow with a red blush, with a flavor that hints of pineapple. Eat it fresh or cook with it.
When is it ready to pick?
The fruit ripens by late summer, around August. Cover ripening fruit, since birds find it first.
Does it get fire blight?
It is known for being highly resistant to fire blight, a common pear disease, which makes it one of the easier pears to keep healthy.
How big does it get?
It grows about 15 to 20 feet tall and 12 to 20 feet wide. Prune it each winter to keep the fruit within reach.
How often should I water it?
Water a new tree often while it roots in. Once established, soak it 18 inches to 3 feet deep about every 1 to 2 weeks while it grows, and about monthly in winter.
When should I prune it?
Prune in late winter while the tree is bare, before the buds break. Remove crossing, dead and inward branches.
When should I fertilize it?
Feed in early spring as the tree wakes up, again in May, and again in September.
Pineapple Pear for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Pineapple Pear is a low-chill pear with large, crunchy fruit and a pineapple flavor. Below: chill hours, pollination, fire blight, harvest, watering and pruning.
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Pineapple pear chill hours
Pineapple Pear needs about 150 chill hours. Most of the Valley gets 300 to 400 hours in a normal winter.
Growing pears in Phoenix
Pick a low-chill variety and plant it in full sun with deep, regular watering. Pineapple Pear sets fruit on its own.
Pineapple pear and fire blight
It is known for being highly resistant to fire blight, a disease that troubles many pears.
When to pick pineapple pears
The fruit ripens by late summer, around August. It is crunchy, with a pineapple flavor.
Watering a pear tree in the desert
Soak the root zone 18 inches to 3 feet deep about every 1 to 2 weeks while it grows, and about monthly in winter.
Pruning pineapple pear
Prune in late winter while the tree is bare. Keep the tree open and low enough to pick.
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