Conference Pear Trees

• Variety: Conference, the pear that crops on its own
• Latin name: Pyrus communis 'Conference'
• Type: Dessert pear. Spur bearer, suited to every trained form
• Pollination: Group C. Self-fertile: one tree will crop, and a partner improves the crop
• Season of use: October to November. Pick the fruit hard and ripen it indoors
• Rootstock: Quince A (semi-vigorous)
• Mature size: About 3 to 4m (10 to 13ft) as a bush
• First crop: About 4 to 5 years from planting
• Best soil and site: Deep, fertile, well-drained soil. Full sun gives the best crops
• Hardiness: H6, hardy anywhere in the UK
• RHS AGM: Yes
• RHS Plants for Pollinators: Yes
• Sold as: Bareroot maiden, bush and half-standard. Pot-grown at 120 to 150cm in a 10 litre pot
• Delivered: Bareroot, November to April. Pot-grown, all year when in stock. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Conference is a self-fertile dessert Pear with the RHS Award of Garden Merit, in pollination group C, for eating from October to November. On Quince A rootstock it makes a garden tree of about 3 to 4 metres. One tree will crop alone, and a partner in group B, C or D improves the crop.

Conference Pear Trees

A delicious pear and one of the best choices for shadier and colder spots, Conference is the UK's most widely grown garden variety.

It's ideal for training on wires as a cordon or espalier and is the only variety we recommend for North facing walls.

Browse our range of pear trees, or all our fruit trees.

Delivery season: Bareroot plants are delivered in late Autumn to Spring, November to April. Pot grown plants, year round.

Pollination Partners for Conference:
It'll fruit quite well by itself, but the crop size and fruit quality is much better when your trees are pollinated.
Conference is in pollination group C.
This means that it can cross-pollinate with any tree in Groups B, C or D.
Please see our guide to Pollinating Pear Trees for a full list of partners for Conference.

Growing Conference Pear Trees:
Rich soil is important: dig in plenty of good manure and compost before planting.
Soil drainage must be good.
The more sun your trees get the better your crops will be.

Diseases:
Some susceptibility to Canker, Mildew and Scab.
If you spray your trees when necessary, there should be no problem, but this isn't a good tree for organic growing.

Planting Companions

Conference will crop alone, but it does better with company, and it is a good partner in return. Comice and Concorde are in group D; Beth and Beurre Hardy are in group C. Concorde is Conference crossed with Comice. Plant Beth, Conference and a late keeper and you can eat your own Pears from August into the new year. Dust the roots with Rootgrow as you plant.

Why Buy Your Pear Tree from Ashridge?

Your Conference is field grown specifically for us on Quince A and lifted to order. Bareroot maidens are pruned before they leave, ready for you to grow on as a bush, espalier or half-standard. Ashridge is a Which? Best Plant Supplier 2025, and bareroot trees are guaranteed for 12 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need two Pear trees to get fruit from Conference?

No. Conference sets fruit without pollination, and that fruit is seedless, longer and narrower. With a partner in group B, C or D nearby you get a bigger and better crop.

How big will your Conference Pear tree grow?

All our Pears are on Quince A, a semi-vigorous rootstock, which makes a bush of about 3 to 4 metres. Expect your first fruit four to five years after planting.

When do you pick Conference Pears?

Pick them full size but still hard, when they part from the spur with a gentle lift. Conference is for eating from October to November and keeps for about three months in the cold.

Why are my Pears gritty?

They were left on the tree too long. Pears ripen off the tree: pick them hard, keep them cool, then bring a few at a time into a warm room to finish.

Can you train Conference as a cordon or an espalier?

Yes. It is a spur bearer, and the RHS lists it as suitable for all training forms. Start with a maiden, which we prune before despatch for the shape you choose.

When are Conference Pear trees delivered?

Bareroot trees come from November to April. The pot-grown tree can come in any month, and is guaranteed for 12 months when delivered leafless between November and March.