Asian Pear

Pyrus pyrifolia '20th Century'

fruit

Nijisseiki (the 20th Century) is the most popular Asian pear cultivar in the world: medium to large round fruit with smooth yellow skin and snow-white juicy crisp flesh that has the flavor of pear with the crunch of an apple. The variety is hugely productive and stores up to six months under refrigeration. Asian pears eat firm-ripe straight from the tree, no countertop ripening needed.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Comfrey — Mineral-mining mulch returns potassium to surface roots
• Daffodils — Spring bulbs around the trunk deter voles
• Yarrow — Attracts predatory wasps that hunt codling moth
• White Clover — Nitrogen-fixing living mulch

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Fire blight →

  Asian pears are particularly susceptible; avoid heavy nitrogen, prune blighted shoots 12 in below cankers, disinfect tools

• Pear psylla →

  Dormant oil spray before bud break; keep canopy open

• Codling moth →

  Bag fruit at thumb size; hang pheromone traps; pick up drops

• Voles and rabbits →

  Wrap lower trunk with plastic guard pushed 2 in into soil

🌾 Harvest & storage

Nijisseiki ripens late August into September. Unlike European pears, Asian pears must ripen on the tree; pick when the skin shifts from green to clear yellow and the fruit lifts off the spur with a gentle tilt. Bag each fruit in a paper sock at thumb-size to prevent codling moth and bird damage. Refrigerate at 33F; Asian pears keep up to 6 months with crisp texture intact, longer than any European pear.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

About 51 calories per 100 g with 3.6 g fiber, 3.8 mg vitamin C, 121 mg potassium, and 4.4 mcg vitamin K. Asian pears are about 88 percent water, making them notably hydrating, and the high pectin content supports gut health.

⚠️ Toxicity & safety

Eat the flesh, not the seeds. Apple and pear seeds contain amygdalin, a cyanide-releasing compound. Swallowing a seed or two is harmless, but do not deliberately eat or crush the seeds or cores in quantity.