Manchurian Pear Trees

Taxonomy

Taxonomy is a fancy way of saying "scientific classification." Manchurian pear trees belong to the Pyrus genus of plants. This genus contains 22 species of woody trees and shrubs spread throughout the world. Though largely concentrated in eastern Asia, species of the Pyrus genus also occur naturally in Europe and Africa. The Pyrus genus belongs to the Rose family (Rosaceae) of plants, in the plant kingdom (Plantae). It further belongs to the vascular plant subkingdom (Tracheobionta), the seed plant superdivision (Spermatophyta), the flowering plant division (Magnoliophyta), dicotyledon class (Magnoliopsida), Rosidae subclass and Rosales order.

Manchurian trees exhibit a rounded growth pattern, meaning they achieve a relatively equal height and spread in a circular form. Trees reach a common mature height of 45 feet and a mature spread of 45 feet. Trees may reach mature heights of 60 feet. Only grow Manchurian pear in a garden suited to accommodating a tree of such size. The tree grows relatively slowly, at a rate of 12 to 18 inches per year. Manchurian pear trees produce small fruit only a few inches long. The authors of the "Illustrated Encyclopedia of Trees" call the fruit of the tree "not good to eat." Ussurian pear trees bear heart-shaped leaves and fragrant white flowers.

The cold hardiness of Manchurian pear trees makes them attractive to growers looking for ornamental species suited to growth in cool regions. The trees are suited for growth in USDA zones 3 through 6, or regions with average annual minimum temperatures ranging from minus 40 to 0 degrees F. These regions comprise the coldest parts of the contiguous United States, incorporating an area stretching from northern Minnesota, Montana and North Dakota to Texas, California, New Jersey and Arizona.

Various Manchurian pear cultivars, or varieties created for growth in controlled environments such as gardens, exist. Cultivars include Bailfrost, which grows less like a mound and more like a traditional upright tree, and Mordak, which reaches a smaller mature size than the standard Manchurian pear and bears a higher concentration of flowers in the spring than usual for the species.

Manchurian pear trees commonly suffer from compromised branch strength. This occurs because the tree bark tends to grow inward at the point at which the branch meets the trunk. This inward growth undermines the integrity of the crotch of branches and causes them to fall off under the weight of heavy fruit harvests or other strong pressure.