The Williams' bon chrétien pear, commonly called the Williams pear, or Bartlett pear in the U.S. and Canada, is the most commonly grown variety of pear in most countries outside Asia. It is a cultivar

Cultivar

A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...

 (cultivated variety) of the species Pyrus communis, commonly known as the European pear

European Pear

The European Pear, Pyrus communis, is a species of pear native to central and eastern Europe and southwest Asia. The European Pear is one of the most important fruits of temperate regions, being the species from which most orchard pear cultivars grown in Europe, North America and Australia have...

. The fruit has a bell shape, considered the traditional pear shape

Pear shaped

Pear-shaped is a metaphorical term with several meanings, all in reference to the shape of a pear, i.e. tapering towards the top and rounded at the bottom....

 in the west, and its green skin turns yellow upon later ripening, although red-skinned derivative varieties exist. It is considered a summer pear, not as tolerant of cold as some varieties. It is often eaten raw, but holds its shape well when baked, and is a common choice for canned or other processed pear uses.

History

The Williams pear is thought to date from 1765 to 1770 from the yard of an Aldermaston

Aldermaston

Aldermaston is a rural village, civil parish and electoral ward in Berkshire, South-East England. In the 2001 United Kingdom Census, the parish had a population of 927. The village is on the southern edge of the River Kennet flood plain, near the Hampshire county boundary...

, England, schoolmaster named Mr. Stair or Mr. Wheeler, giving rise to the now-obscure synonyms Aldermaston pear and Stairs pear. A nurseryman named Williams later acquired the variety, and after introducing it to the rest of England, the pear became known as the Williams Pear. However, the pear's full name is Williams' Bon Chretien, or "Williams' good Christian."

In 1799 James Carter imported several Williams trees into the United States, and they were planted on the grounds of Thomas Brewer in Roxbury, Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

. The Massachusetts estate was later acquired by Enoch Bartlett of Dorchester, Massachusetts. Unaware of their origin, Bartlett named the pears after himself and introduced the variety into the United States. It was not realized that Bartlett and Williams Pears were the same until 1828, when new trees arrived from Europe. . By that time the Bartlett variety had become vastly popular in the United States, and they are still generally known as Bartlett pears in the U.S. and Canada, although there are about 150 other synonyms worldwide.

Named mutants

Several "sports" or mutants of the Williams pear have received United States plant patents:

Date	Originator	Market Name	Mutated From	Assignee	Habit	Flavor	Texture	Color	Plant Patent Number
Jul 1, 1947	Moritz	Max-Red Bartlett	Bartlett	MacKelvie	standard	sweeter	finer	red
Dec 27, 1977	Crisafulli		Bartlett		semi-dwarf	good		red blush
Apr 14, 1998	Biehn	Cinnamon	Bartlett		standard	sweeter		russet
Feb 26, 2008	Lowry	Carolina Gold	Bartlett	Associated Fruit	standard	more tart		russet

Offspring

For several decades, the Williams pear has been used actively as a parent in the production of new varieties:

Date	Originator	Marketed	Parent	Other Parent	Plant Patent Number
Aug 27, 1974	Griggs	California	Max Red Bartlett741	Comice
Aug 9, 1988	Reimer	Reimer	Max Red Bartlett741	Comice
Jan 30, 2007	White	Prem2P	Max Red Bartlett741	Nijisseiki
Apr 17, 2007	Hart	Prem1P	Max Red Bartlett741	Nijisseiki

Physical description

The pear exhibits a pyriform "pear shape," with a rounded bell on the bottom half of the fruit, and then a definitive shoulder with a smaller neck or stem end.
Williams are considered to be very aromatic pears, and have what many consider the definitive "pear flavor". Colors of the pear vary from green (when unripe), to yellow (ripe) and red. Red Bartletts or Williams are very similar to the traditional Williams, aside from ripening to a reddish color rather than a yellow color. Red-skinned mutant clones (i.e. "sports") of the Williams are increasing in popularity, including three major varieties in the U.S.: the Max Red Bartlett, the Sensation Red Bartlett, and the Rosired Bartlett. One study of several macrosatellite loci in 63 European Pear (Pyrus communis L.) cultivars did not distinguish Max Red Bartlett and Sensation Red Bartlett from the standard Williams, which was expected since the red mutants were derived from the Williams by mutation. Dozens of other cultivars and hybrids have been created from Williams, created for properties like cold resistance, ripening time, skin coloration, and grafting compatibility.

Best when picked with the internal pressure of the pear is between 18 psi (124,105.6 Pa) and 16 psi (110,316.1 Pa), the pear should still be green and relatively hard when picked. Optimum conditions for ripening are in dry shady areas, and ripening usually takes 7 to 10 days from when the pear was picked. As the pear ripens the color will slowly change to a soft yellow and the pear will soften. Commercially produced pears are normally picked and shipped to the stores while green.

Pear Tree

Pear trees are typically in production for an average of 50 to 75 years, although some trees still produce fruit after 100 years.

Height: 15-20ft with slightly less spread.

Flowers: White flowers grouped in a corymb.

Blooming Time: April - May.

Fruit & Seeds: Large, golden yellow skin, brownish red blush, classic shape with smooth, white flesh. Harvest from mid-August to mid-September. But depends on which side of the Earth's hemisphere the plant has been placed for harvest time.

Leaves: The leaves are simple, glossy green leaves that alternate on the twig. They grow up to 3" long, are thick with slight midrib curves folding the edges inwards. They have fine teeth on the margin.

Elevation: 1000 - 5000 Feet.

Habitat: Orchards and landscaping.

U.S. Pear production

In 1985, the pear represented 80% of U.S. pear production, and in 2004, it represented 50% of reported pear production, displaced primarily by the continuing growth of d'Anjou

D'Anjou

The D'Anjou pear, sometimes referred to as the Beurré d'Anjou or simply Anjou, is a short-necked cultivar of European Pear. The variety was originally named Nec Plus Meuris in Europe and the name Anjou or d'Anjou was erroneously applied to the variety when introduced to America and England...

 and Bosc

Bosc Pear

The Beurré Bosc or Bosc is a cultivar of the European Pear grown in the northwestern U.S. states of California, Washington, and Oregon; Australia; as well as in British Columbia, Ontario and Europe, where it is sometimes called Kaiser.Characteristic features are a long tapering neck and russeted...

 pears, both winter pears more tolerant of cold than the Bartlett.

"A Canning Tradition"

While more pears are sold fresh in the U.S. than processed, Bartlett pears are the primary choice for canned halves, puree, and most pear juice and nectar in the U.S., comprising about two thirds of Bartlett production. Bartletts are traditionally known as the canning

Canning

Canning is a method of preserving food in which the food contents are processed and sealed in an airtight container. Canning provides a typical shelf life ranging from one to five years, although under specific circumstances a freeze-dried canned product, such as canned, dried lentils, can last as...

pear due to their "definitive flavor and sweetness," making them well-suited for many forms of processing.