Duo of Pyrus communis William's and Louise Bonne of Jersey - pears

The William's and Louise Bonne of Jersey pear trees form a highly complementary duo, offering fruits rich in flavours to be enjoyed without moderation from mid-August to late September. These two varieties, grafted onto the same rootstock, flower at the same time. Usually self-sterile, they pollinate each other to offer abundant fruiting on a single tree. The William's, juicy and melting, is an excellent pear produced worldwide, while the Louise Bonne of Jersey, typically punctuated with carmine red on the sun-exposed cheek, adapts well to cooking. This very ornamental pear tree offers intense flowering at the very beginning of spring and then its dark green foliage adorns the tree throughout the season, ending with beautiful autumn colours. Its excellent cold resistance and adaptation to all types of soils, except overly suffocating ones, allow the pear tree to be planted in all regions, including at high altitudes. It finds a place, planted on a lawn, at the back of a flower bed, in an orchard, or in a fruit hedge.

This tree combines two grafts:

- A graft of William's Pear: a highly adaptable variety with easy cultivation, renowned for the excellent taste quality of its large pears and their ability to be stored. Its fruits are yellow when ripe, sometimes speckled with russet and offer a fine, juicy, melting, sweet, and fragrant flesh, remarkably aromatic. Fairly large, with a diameter of about 7 cm, round and squat, they can be harvested from August and stored perfectly until November, either in a ventilated cellar or in the refrigerator. A partially self-fertile variety and a very good pollinator for other pear trees.

- A graft of Louise Bonne of Jersey Pear: a medium vigour variety, with good regular production. Suitable for all regions and will produce better fruits at higher altitudes. It produces medium-sized, beautifully coloured pears with brick red on a yellow background. Of good taste quality, their fine flesh is sweet and juicy. Harvest takes place in September, just before the fruits reach maturity, as they tend to become over-ripe. This pear tree is not self-fertile.

Pyrus communis (Common Pear) is a fruit tree belonging to the Rosaceae family. Present in Europe since antiquity, it originates from the forests of Western Asia. Over the centuries, a very large number of cultivars have emerged. Its cultivation is widespread in Europe. The William's, also known as Bon Chrétien William's or Bartlett in the USA, is an old variety of pear tree, resulting from a natural seedling, obtained in 1796 in the United Kingdom, by Stair Wheeler (English schoolteacher), then more widely distributed in the 19th century by Williams of Turnham (nurseryman). The Louise Bonne d'Avranches, also known as Louise Bonne of Jersey or Louise Bonne, is an old variety of pear tree obtained in 1770 from a seedling made by Mr. Longueval d'Avranches.

This pear tree forms a tree with a pyramidal framework, reaching approximately 4 to 6 metres high and 4 metres wide at maturity, producing numerous slightly arched branches, with a spreading habit. Its habit is well suited to tall forms (on a standard) or low forms (in a goblet shape), and occasionally espaliered (fan-trained). Its deciduous foliage consists of large, 8 to 10 cm long, alternate, ovate, shiny green leaves, turning yellow-orange in autumn. Flowering occurs between late March and mid-April. The single, white flowers, 2 to 3 cm in diameter, grouped in umbels, are nectar-rich. They can be destroyed by frost from -2 to -3 °C. It is a hardy tree that tolerates temperatures around -25 °C, and is suitable for cultivation in all regions, including at high altitudes. Pear trees are self-sterile or self-incompatible, the flowers cannot fertilise themselves. That is why the presence of these two varieties, on the same tree, will allow cross-pollination, and thus enable fruiting.

These two varieties of pear trees grafted onto the same tree offer abundant, regular and rapid fruiting, around 3 to 4 years, with optimal fruit production occurring after 5 to 7 years. An adult pear tree (between 10 and 20 years old) produces an average of 30 to 50 kilograms of fruit per year. Harvest begins around mid-August with the William's and continues until mid-September with the Louise Bonne of Jersey. It is important to pick the fruits slightly before they are fully ripe and with their stalks to ensure good storage. Since pears are quite fragile, harvest manually with care. The fruit is consumed as soon as it is picked. Pears can be eaten raw or cooked, in compotes, pastries, and desserts, in fruit salads or compositions, in combination with cheeses or as an accompaniment to savoury dishes, alongside ducks, white meats (poultry and lamb), or game. They are also perfect for making juices or fruits in syrup.

Rich in water and very fleshy, pears refresh and quench thirst and are satisfying. They are moderately calorie-rich and well supplied with potassium, calcium, and magnesium, with a significant iron content. Their content of vitamins C and E, antioxidants, and fibres make pears a healthy choice. They are invigorating, energising, and rehydrating. The fruits can be stored for only a few weeks after harvest, but rarely beyond mid-November. Store in a cool, clean place, protected from light, at a temperature around 8 to 10 °C, or in a cold room, sealed from outside air, at a temperature of 1 to 3 °C.