'Luscious' Dwarf European Pear

The Luscious Dwarf Pear lives up to its name with fruit that is exceptionally sweet, juicy, and aromatic. Bred for northern growers seeking both cold hardiness and outstanding flavour, it produces golden pears with a red blush that ripen in mid- to late September.

Flesh is tender, richly sweet, and dessert-like, making Luscious one of the best-tasting cold hardy pears. Enjoy it fresh, sliced into salads, paired with cheeses, or used in baking and preserves. For peak quality, harvest firm and allow to ripen off the tree.

On dwarf rootstock, a Luscious pear tree grows 8-10 feet tall and 6-8 feet wide, perfect for home gardens and orchards. Naturally resistant to fire blight, it is a reliable and productive choice for cold-climate fruit growers.

Compared to the popular Bartlett pear, Luscious pears are noted as having better flavour, storage, cold hardiness, disease resistance and climate adaptability.

Common names: Luscious Pear, Luscious Dwarf Pear

Edible: Fruit
Harvest timing: Mid to late September

Scientific name: Pyrus communis 'Luscious'
Light requirements: Full sun 
Full-grown size: Dwarf (8-10' tall x 6-8' wide)
Hardiness: Zone 3 (-40ºC), but more reliable in Zone 4 (-34.4ºC) and above.
Pollination: Requires cross-pollination with another mid-season blooming European pear, such as 'Summercrisp,' which we also offer. 
Wildlife: Blossoms are very attractive to spring bees and fruit may be targeted by wildlife. Early harvests help avoid fall bear activity.
Origin: Developed by South Dakota State University in 1954 and introduced in 1973.
Noteworthy: Known for its exceptional flavour among hardy pears — sweeter, juicier, and more dessert-like than most cold-hardy cultivars.