Common Wild Pear Tree Saplings

• Variety: Wild Pear, a native hedge plant and tree with spring blossom and small fruit
• Latin name: Pyrus communis
• Sold as: Bareroot saplings, 60/80cm tall
• Ultimate size: 8 to 12m tall by 4 to 8m wide if left to grow, in 20 to 50 years
• Hedge spacing: 3 per metre, 33cm apart
• Flowers: White, in clusters, in mid-spring
• Fruit: Small, edible Pears that vary from tree to tree
• Position: Full sun, with some shelter
• Soil: Deep, fertile and well-drained. Not very acid soil or shallow chalk
• Native: Yes
• Wildlife: RHS Plants for Pollinators
• Hardiness: H6, hardy through the British winter
• Delivered: Bareroot, November to April. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Wild Pear is the native Pear of old hedgerows: white blossom in mid-spring, glossy leaves that turn orange and gold, and small Pears for birds, squirrels and the jam pan. Clip it in a mixed native hedge, or let it grow into a tall, narrow tree of 8 to 12 metres.

Common Wild Pear Tree Saplings

Pyrus communis is the native, Wild Pear tree. It's a great hedge plant and produces small, edible fruit that are good for wildlife. The RHS gives it 8 to 12 metres if it grows freely as a tree.

It flowers heavily in April when the leaves are still small and pale green, which all looks great together. The mature leaves are glossy, rich green. The small, edible fruit are popular with birds and squirrels, but if you can get your hands on them they're usually sweet and quite delicious: this is a wild tree, so the fruit'll vary. If the pears aren't sweet when fresh, use them for jam. The autumn foliage is orange & gold and if you are clipping these plants as a hedge, the leaves will stay on the branches for some time. Although it isn't thorny, its short twigs have pointed ends.

You can buy eating pear trees here, as well as ornamental Chanticleer pears and weeping pears.

Bareroot hedge plants are only delivered during winter (Nov-April).
All our hedge plants are measured by their height in centimetres above the ground (the roots aren't measured).

Spacing a Pear hedge:

Plant at 3 plants per metre, 33cm apart.
It's typically used in a mixed native hedge.

History & Trivia

Uncultivated pears are also called Pyrus pyraster. The history of the common pear is hard to trace. There are records of a cultivated pear growing in the palace of Sennacherib at Nineveh, Iraq, in 700 BC (note, that is over 2000 years before Europeans started breeding modern pears). The common pear we have today is believed to be hybrid of more ancient European and Asian trees, but with all the cultivated pear seeds that have escaped from orchards over the centuries, it's impossible to tell apart the really wild pear trees and the rogue pears that have bred with their wild cousins. Pear breeding in Europe probably began in the 1500's, but the first proper records are from about 1610, written by Jean Robin, King Henri III's fruit tree gardener.

Planting Companions

In a hedge, Wild Pear is a minor ingredient among Hawthorn and Blackthorn, with Crab Apple and Wild Cherry for more blossom and fruit. It is one of the five plants in our Edible Hedge mix. Dust bareroot roots with Rootgrow as you plant.

Why Buy Your Native Hedging from Ashridge?

Hedging and young native trees are not a sideline here: your Wild Pear saplings are grown for us by specialist growers. Bareroot plants are lifted to order while dormant and guaranteed for 12 months. Ashridge has sold plants since 1949 and is a Which? Best Plant Supplier 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

How big does a Wild Pear grow?

Left alone, the RHS gives it 8 to 12 metres tall and 4 to 8 metres wide, reached in 20 to 50 years, with a narrow, upright shape. In a hedge it is clipped with the rest.

Can you eat the fruit?

Yes. The Pears are small and they vary from tree to tree. Some are sweet straight from the branch, and the rest make good jam.

Is Wild Pear thorny?

Only slightly. The RHS calls it occasionally thorny, and the short side twigs often end in a point.

Is it native?

The RHS lists Pyrus communis as native. Wild and escaped orchard Pears have crossed for centuries, so no two hedgerow trees are quite alike.

How far apart do you plant it in a hedge?

Three plants per metre, 33cm apart, in a single row.

What soil does it need?

Deep, fertile, well-drained soil in a sunny, fairly sheltered place. The RHS warns against very acid soils and shallow chalk.

When are the plants delivered?

Bareroot only, from November to April, while the plants are dormant. You can order at any time of year and your plants are lifted and sent once the season opens.