Onward Pear Trees

• Variety: Onward, Comice flavour weeks earlier
• Latin name: Pyrus communis 'Onward'
• Fruit: Smooth, soft and exceptionally juicy, with a lick of acidity in the sweetness
• Harvest: September, picked hard; pears ripen off the tree
• Use: Eating
• Pollination: Group D, needs a partner in group C or D (but not Doyenné du Comice)
• Rootstock: Quince A (semi-vigorous)
• Mature size: 3–4m as a bush
• Position: Full sun
• Soil: Rich, deep and well-drained
• Sold as: Bareroot Maiden, Bush or Half-Standard
• Delivered: November–April, bareroot season. Collection from Castle Cary also available

A truly ripe Onward needs a knife and fork, or a willingness to have juice running down your chin. Eat it fresh: this one is for the fruit bowl, not the store.

Onward Pears: Comice Flavour, Weeks Earlier

Onward is a September dessert pear bred from Doyenné du Comice, with the same smooth, soft, juicy flesh and a touch of lip-smacking acidity threaded through the sweetness. It fruits weeks ahead of its famous parent, so you get the Comice experience while the weather is still warm. The skin is thinner than Comice's, which is why it stores for only a few weeks; in most pear-loving households, that is never the problem it sounds.

On Quince A roots it makes a garden tree of 3–4m, cropping from its fourth or fifth year, and as a spur-bearer it trains well as a cordon or espalier where space is short.

Onward: Raised at Wisley in 1947

Onward was bred at the RHS garden at Wisley in 1947, a cross between Doyenné du Comice and Laxton's Superb, the pear rather than the apple of that name. The aim was Comice quality on an earlier, more obliging tree, and that is what it delivers.

Pollination Partners for Onward

Onward is in pollination group D and needs a second pear in the same or a neighbouring group. The one tree that will not do the job is its own parent Comice: the two flower together but refuse to cross. Good partners from our range include Conference and Williams Bon Chretien, and the full list is in our guide to pollinating pear trees. If you are starting an orchard rather than planting one tree, the apple trees share the same culture and stretch the harvest either side of the pears.

Why Buy Onward from Ashridge Nurseries?

Onward is field grown for us by specialist fruit growers and lifted the week it travels, between November and April. Maidens arrive pre-pruned for the form you have chosen, packed in purpose-designed recycled cardboard. We were voted Which? Best Plant Supplier 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

What pollinates Onward?

Any pear in pollination group C or D except Doyenné du Comice, which is Onward's parent and will not cross with it. Conference and Williams Bon Chretien are both reliable choices that flower at the right time.

What is the difference between Onward and Comice?

Onward ripens in September, weeks before Comice, with very similar smooth, juicy flesh; Comice is the later, larger fruit and the better keeper. Onward's thinner skin means you eat it fresh rather than storing it.

How long do Onward pears keep?

Only a few weeks in a cold place, because the skin is thin. Pick in September, ripen indoors through October, and plan to eat them as they come ready rather than laying them down for winter.

Can I grow Onward as a cordon or espalier?

Yes. Onward is a spur-bearer, so it takes well to cordon and espalier training and starts most easily from a maiden, which arrives ready to shape against a wall or wires.

What rootstock is Onward grafted onto?

Quince A, the semi-vigorous standard for garden pears. It keeps the tree to about 3–4m as a bush and brings the first proper crop within four to five years of planting.