Merton Pride Pear Trees

• Variety: Merton Pride, big pears with some of the finest flesh of any English variety
• Latin name: Pyrus communis 'Merton Pride'
• Fruit: Large, green turning yellow, some years with a fine russet down
• Harvest: Mid to late September, picked hard; pears ripen off the tree
• Use: Eating
• Pollination: Group C, triploid: it crops well but pollinates nothing, so it needs two other pear trees nearby
• Rootstock: Quince A (semi-vigorous)
• Mature size: 3.5–4m as a tree; a vigorous variety, at the top of the Quince A range
• Position: Full sun
• Soil: Rich, deep and well-drained
• Sold as: Bareroot Maiden
• Delivered: November–April, bareroot season. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Not the heaviest cropper, but each pear is large and utterly delicious: this is a variety you plant for quality over quantity.

Merton Pride Pears: Big Fruit, Sublime Flesh

Merton Pride is a large September dessert pear with smooth, sweet, very fruity flesh, turning from green to yellow as it ripens indoors. It is a triploid, which means it crops generously for its size but its pollen fertilises nothing, and it is widely rated among the best-flavoured English pears. Some years the fruit wears a fine russet down; other years hardly any.

The tree itself is vigorous, so on Quince A roots it makes a tree at the larger end of the garden range, around 3.5–4m. What it lacks in sheer weight of crop it makes up for in the size and quality of every pear it does carry.

Merton Pride: Bred at the John Innes Institute

This pear was raised in 1941 at the John Innes Horticultural Institute, then at Merton in Surrey and now part of South London. Its parents are both on this site: Glou Morceau crossed with a double-sized sport of Williams Bon Chretien. It was called Merton Favourite until 1957, and the institute that bred it also gave the world the John Innes compost formulas.

Pollination Partners for Merton Pride

Merton Pride is in pollination group C, but because it is a triploid it gives nothing back: any tree you plant to pollinate it gets no pollen in return. The answer is to plant two other pears in the same or a neighbouring group, so they pollinate each other as well as Merton Pride. Conference and Beth make an easy pair, and our guide to pollinating pear trees covers the alternatives. If you are planting several trees anyway, browse the full fruit tree range for a mixed orchard.

Why Ashridge for Pears?

Field grown specifically for us and lifted fresh to order between November and April. Your maiden arrives pre-pruned for the shape you plan to grow, so the cut a beginner worries about is already made. Real people answer the phone in Somerset, and our Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award is earned from customer reviews.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a triploid pear?

A triploid pear carries an extra set of chromosomes: it crops well itself, but its pollen is sterile and fertilises nothing. Merton Pride is the triploid in our range, which is why it needs two companion trees rather than one.

How many pear trees do I need with Merton Pride?

Three in total: Merton Pride plus two other pears in the same or a neighbouring pollination group. The two companions pollinate Merton Pride and, because it gives them nothing back, they also pollinate each other.

When do I pick Merton Pride pears?

Pick in mid to late September while the fruit is still hard, when it parts from the spur with a gentle lift. Ripen the pears indoors over the following days rather than leaving them to soften on the tree.

Why are my pears gritty or mealy?

Grittiness almost always means the fruit ripened on the tree. Pears are one of the few fruits that ripen better off the plant: pick them hard, then finish them in the fruit bowl and the graininess never develops.

How long before a pear tree fruits?

On Quince A roots, expect the first worthwhile crop four to five years after planting. A maiden runs about a year behind a ready-trained tree because it spends its first seasons building a framework.