Starkrimson Pear

Synonyms: Red Clapp's, Red Favorite

Starkrimson pear (Pyrus communis ‘Starkrimson’) – a cultivar of the common pear. The cultivar is a spontaneous red mutation of the Clapp's Favorite variety, discovered in Michigan in 1939. In 1956 the cultivar was patented by Stark Brothers Nursery.

It is a tall deciduous, vigorously growing tree up to 5 m in height. The crown is spreading, pyramidal, well-leaved.

Leaves are narrow-lanceolate, shortly pointed, 3-10 cm long, dark green, sometimes with a burgundy tint. Flowers bloom in mid-late season.

It begins to bear fruit in the 7th year on wild pear rootstock and in the 5th year after planting on quince rootstock. Yield increases gradually; after 10 years it gives a good harvest. Fruits ripen in late July - early August; picking maturity occurs as soon as the fruits begin to turn yellow. Yield is regular and abundant, up to 35 kg per tree at 13-16 years of age. Fruits are large, weighing 180-240 g, pear-shaped. Skin is yellow, becoming completely red when ripe. Flesh is juicy, buttery, dense, melting, with a muscat aroma, sweet-tart, of excellent taste (taste score 4.7 points). Storage life 8-10 days.

Pollinator cultivars: Williams, Panna, Ilinka, Bere Bosc, Lesnaya Krasavitsa, Bere Ligol, Olivier de Serre, Dekanka Zimnyaya.

Hardiness zone: 3 (-40°C).

Site: demanding of environmental conditions. Less winter-hardy and more heat-loving than apple. Poorly tolerates early autumn frosts, alternating thaws and frosts, and spring frosts (buds die at -4°C). Prefers loose, moist soil with a small clay content. Prefers sunny but not scorching, sheltered-from-wind locations.

Planting: plant seedlings preferably in spring, but autumn is also possible. Pear seedlings generally have a poorly developed root system, so the pear hardly grows during the first 2 years. Soil from the hole should be mixed with organic and mineral-potassium fertilizers. Fill the mixture to the edge of the hole. The root collar should be left 3 cm above ground level.

Diseases: has high resistance to scab

Pests: pear gall mite.

Uses: fruits are used fresh, for making compotes and jams. Keeping quality and transportability are good.