MISHIRASU asian pear LARGE SEMI-DWARF (OHxF97)

🍐 Asian pear ‘Mishirasu’

🔎 Description

The Asian pear ‘Mishirasu’ (Pyrus pyrifolia ‘Mishirasu’) is a Japanese variety notable for the exceptional size of its fruit, which can exceed 450 g each. Selected on the island of Hokkaido, this cultivar produces crisp, juicy, and sweet pears with russet-brown skin. Ideal for fresh consumption, it is also notable for its good storage capacity.

🌳 Main characteristics

• Botanical name    
  • Pyrus pyrifolia ‘Mishirasu’
    
• Origin    
  • Japan (selected by Dr. Hoshino, around 1887)
    
• Habit    
  • Vigorous, rounded tree
    
• Foliage    
  • Deciduous, dark green, turning orange in fall
    
• Flowering  
  •  April-May, fragrant white flowers
    
• Pollination    
  • Requires a compatible pollinator (another Asian or European pear tree)
    
• Hardiness    
  • Down to -25°C (USDA zone 5)
    
• Mature height    
  • 3 to 4 m
    
• Mature width    
  • 3 to 4 m
    

🍐 The fruit

• Size: very large (350 to 500 g)
• Shape: rounded, slightly flattened
• Skin: brown to coppery, often russeted
• Flesh: white, firm, crisp, and very juicy
• Taste: mild, sweet, refreshing
• Harvest: late September to early October
• Storage: excellent (several weeks in a cellar or cold room)

🌞 Cultivation and care

• Exposure: full sun
• Soil: rich, loose, well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral
• Planting: fall or spring (frost-free)
• Watering: regular in the first few years; then tolerates slight drought
• Pruning: at the end of winter – thin out the center, remove dead wood and crossing branches
• Mulching: recommended to retain moisture and protect the roots from the cold

⚠️ Points to note

• Provide a pollinator with a similar flowering period (e.g., ‘Shinseiki’, ‘Chojuro’, ‘Hosui’).
• The fruit, although delicious, often has a very russeted skin (more rustic than commercial appearance).
• Avoid heavy or poorly drained soils (risk of root rot).

💡 Advantages

✅ Giant, tasty fruit
✅ Regular, abundant production
✅ Rustic, decorative tree
✅ Fruit keeps well
✅ Suitable for northern climates (up to zone 5)

📍 Advice for cold climates (Quebec/Mauricie)

In zones 4b-5, choose a south-facing location that is well sheltered from the wind.
Protect the young tree for the first two winters with a thick layer of mulch (6 inches) and, if possible, a windbreak.
The ‘Mishirasu’ variety performs well when grafted onto a hardy rootstock such as OHxF 97.

🌿 Uses

• Family orchard or ornamental garden
• Fresh consumption or in fruit salads
• Long-term storage or processing (juice, jams, desserts)