Pyrus communis ‘Doyenne du Comice’
£30.00
Frequently Bought Together
Description
Quick Facts
- Common Name: Comice Pear, Doyenné du Comice
- Botanical Name: Pyrus communis ‘Doyenné du Comice’
- Plant Type: Deciduous fruit tree
- Mature Height: 3–4m (as a standard tree; can be kept smaller with pruning or on dwarfing rootstock)
- Mature Spread: 2.5–3.5m
- Flowering Period: April to May
- Flower Colour: White
- Fruit: Large, golden-green pears with a rosy flush; meltingly juicy, aromatic, and sweet; harvest October
- Foliage: Mid-green, turning yellow in autumn
- Hardiness: RHS H6 (hardy throughout UK & Ireland)
- Soil Requirements: Moist, well-drained, moderately fertile
- Aspect: Full sun (essential for best fruiting and flavour)
- Maintenance: Moderate (annual pruning and thinning recommended)
Description
Pyrus communis ‘Doyenné du Comice’—better known as the Comice pear—is widely regarded as one of the finest dessert pears you can grow. The fruit is large and rounded, with golden-green skin often blushed with pink, and the flesh is meltingly juicy, aromatic, and exquisitely sweet. It’s a true luxury for eating fresh, and also lovely in desserts and cheese boards.
In spring, the tree is covered in clusters of white blossom, attracting pollinators and lighting up the orchard or garden border. By October, the branches are heavy with fruit, ready to pick and ripen further indoors if needed. The tree itself is vigorous and elegant, with a rounded crown and attractive autumn colour.
Comice is partially self-fertile but will crop more heavily with a compatible pollination partner (group 4—such as ‘Conference’, ‘Concorde’, or ‘Williams Bon Chrétien’) nearby. It’s well-suited to Irish and UK gardens, thriving in sun and fertile, well-drained soil, and it’s especially valued for its reliable performance and exceptional fruit quality.
Plant as a specimen in a lawn, as part of a mixed orchard, or train against a sunny wall for a productive, beautiful feature. Its combination of blossom, fruit, and autumn colour makes it a classic for any garden.
Caragh Garden Notebook
Planting:
Space trees 2.5–3.5m apart for standards, or closer for cordons/espaliers. Plant bare-root or container-grown trees in late autumn to early spring (November–March). Choose a sunny, sheltered site with fertile, well-drained soil. Avoid frost pockets and waterlogged areas. Dig a generous hole, incorporate well-rotted compost, and plant at the same depth as in the nursery. Firm soil, water well, and mulch to retain moisture.
Space trees 2.5–3.5m apart for standards, or closer for cordons/espaliers. Plant bare-root or container-grown trees in late autumn to early spring (November–March). Choose a sunny, sheltered site with fertile, well-drained soil. Avoid frost pockets and waterlogged areas. Dig a generous hole, incorporate well-rotted compost, and plant at the same depth as in the nursery. Firm soil, water well, and mulch to retain moisture.
Soil Preparation:
Prefers moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil; pH 6.0–7.0 is ideal. Improve poor soils with compost or well-rotted manure before planting.
Prefers moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil; pH 6.0–7.0 is ideal. Improve poor soils with compost or well-rotted manure before planting.
Pruning & Care:
Prune annually in late winter or early spring to maintain shape, encourage fruiting spurs, and remove any dead or congested growth. Thin fruit in early summer to promote larger, healthier pears and prevent biennial bearing.
Prune annually in late winter or early spring to maintain shape, encourage fruiting spurs, and remove any dead or congested growth. Thin fruit in early summer to promote larger, healthier pears and prevent biennial bearing.
Pollination:
‘Doyenné du Comice’ is partially self-fertile but will crop best with a pollination partner from group 4 (such as ‘Conference’, ‘Concorde’, or ‘Williams Bon Chrétien’).
‘Doyenné du Comice’ is partially self-fertile but will crop best with a pollination partner from group 4 (such as ‘Conference’, ‘Concorde’, or ‘Williams Bon Chrétien’).
Harvesting:
Pick pears in October when they begin to colour and yield slightly to gentle pressure. Allow to finish ripening indoors for the best texture and flavour.
Pick pears in October when they begin to colour and yield slightly to gentle pressure. Allow to finish ripening indoors for the best texture and flavour.
Pests & Problems:
Generally reliable and disease resistant, but watch for pear scab, aphids, and codling moth. Good hygiene and regular checks help keep trees healthy.
Generally reliable and disease resistant, but watch for pear scab, aphids, and codling moth. Good hygiene and regular checks help keep trees healthy.
Related products
-
Pyrus communis Saint Remy
£30.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Ficus carica Goutte de Miel
£120.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Malus Cox’s Orange Pippin / Fruiting Apple tree
Price range: £60.00 through £450.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Prunus avium ‘regina’
Price range: £30.00 through £60.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
