Pear Tree Pollination

Pollinating Pear Trees - Choosing a Partner 

Use our easy pollination checking tool to quickly find pollination partners for a given pear tree, or browse the table below.

To make fruit, most pear trees need to be cross-pollinated with another variety that is in flower at the same time; even self-fertile varieties produce better crops with a partner. 

Pollination groups represent flowering periods. A pear tree can cross-pollinate with any tree in its own group or a group next to it on the table. For example, a tree in group B can cross-pollinate with trees in groups A, B, and C - that's all of them!

Pear Tree Pollination Groups

(Note that the letters are interchangeable with numbers, so Group C is the same as Group 3)

Flowering Dates vs Harvest Dates

Your pear tree's flowering group is not connected with the date when the fruit ripens. For example, Sensation is in pollination group C, but crops before Conference in pollination group A.

Are Pear Trees Self Fertile?

Pears aren't good at pollinating themselves. Only Concorde is "as good as truly self-fertile", while Conference and Louise Bonne of Jersey will carry some half-decent fruit without a pollination partner, but all of their crops will be bigger and better with one.

If you do not have room for two pear trees, the likelihood is that bees will bring pollen from a neighbour within a few miles who has a compatible pear (which includes ornamental pears).
However, it is better to add at least one cordon, in a pot if necessary, as a pollination partner.