Pyrus calleryana Decne.

TSO logo

Sponsor this page

For information about how you could sponsor this page, see How You Can Help

Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Pyrus calleryana' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/pyrus/pyrus-calleryana/). Accessed 2024-03-28.

Genus

Glossary

calyx
(pl. calyces) Outer whorl of the perianth. Composed of several sepals.
inflorescence
Flower-bearing part of a plant; arrangement of flowers on the floral axis.
ovary
Lowest part of the carpel containing the ovules; later developing into the fruit.
acuminate
Narrowing gradually to a point.
apex
(pl. apices) Tip. apical At the apex.
calyx
(pl. calyces) Outer whorl of the perianth. Composed of several sepals.
caudate
With a long tail-like appendage.
cuspidate
Ending abruptly in a sharp point.
glabrous
Lacking hairs smooth. glabrescent Becoming hairless.
globose
globularSpherical or globe-shaped.
midrib
midveinCentral and principal vein in a leaf.
ovate
Egg-shaped; broadest towards the stem.
peduncle
Stalk of inflorescence.
truncate
Appearing as if cut off.

References

There are no active references in this article.

Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Pyrus calleryana' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/pyrus/pyrus-calleryana/). Accessed 2024-03-28.

A small deciduous tree or large shrub; winter-buds up to 38 in. long, scales tomentose on the back; young branchlets tomentose at first, glabrous the second year, or glabrous from the start. Leaves broad-ovate, acuminate to caudate at the apex, or sometimes roundish with a cuspidate or short-acuminate apex, base rounded or rounded-truncate, mostly 134 to 314 in. long, 114 to 2 in. wide, finely crenated at the margin, thinly leathery, dark green above, light green below, more or less hairy on the midrib and main veins beneath, glabrous at maturity; petioles slender, 38 to 138 in. long, tomentose at first, becoming glabrous. Inflorescence of six to twelve flowers, borne on a short densely hairy or glabrous peduncle. Flowers 58 to 34 in. across; pedicels glabrous to tomentose, 38 to 1316 in. long, rarely slightly longer. Calyx-tube widely and shallowly cup-shaped, glabrous; sepals narrowly triangular, finely woolly on the inside. Petals broadly obovate or suborbicular with a short claw. Stamens twenty. Ovary glabrous, or tomentose like the pedicels. Styles two or three. Fruits globose or obovoid, 58 to 34 in. wide, brownish, densely white-dotted, borne on stiff stalks 58 to 2 in. long; calyx deciduous.

Native of Central and S. China; described in 1872 from a specimen collected by the French missionary J. Callery, among whose achievements was the compilation of a Chinese-Latin dictionary. It was introduced by Wilson from Hupeh in 1908 but, apart from colouring well in the autumn in some years, it really has nothing to commend it as an ornamental. Recently two cultivars have been introduced from the USA, namely; ‘Bradford’, selected at the Plant Introduction Station, Glenn Dale, Maryland, from trees raised from seed collected by F. Meyer in China in 1918; and ‘Chanticleer’, raised by Edward Scanlon. The former makes a dense, vigorous tree up to at least 50 ft high and 30 ft wide; ‘Chanticleer’ is described as having a narrowly conical crown. Both give good autumn colour in the USA.

The above description includes f. tomentella Rehd., an extreme form with the branchlets, young leaves, pedicels and ovaries notably tomentose.

Two species related to P. calleryana are P. fauriei Schneid. from Korea and P.

From the Supplement (Vol. V)

P. ‘Chanticleer’ is proving to be a tree of many virtues, suitable for industrial areas owing to its resistance to atmospheric pollution and growing well on all soils. Its flowers make a fine display in spring, as the leaves unfold, and it gives good late autumn colour. The broader ‘Bradford’ is also excellent.


'Chanticleer'