Herb: Willow-Leaved Pear


Latin name: Pyrus salicifolia


Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)



Edible parts of Willow-Leaved Pear:

Fruit - raw or cooked. The fruit is about 2 - 3cm long. Harsh and of no value. The fruit is nice when it has been bletted.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Tree

Height:
7.5 m
(25 feet)

Flowering:
April

Habitat of the herb:

Dry stony sites, forest edges etc.

Other uses of Willow-Leaved Pear:

Plants have extensive root systems and can be used for binding sands.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the autumn, it will then usually germinate in mid to late winter. Stored seed requires 8 - 10 weeks cold stratification at 1°C and should be sown as early in the year as possible. Temperatures over 15 - 20°C induce a secondary dormancy in the seed. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse for their first year. Plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year.

Cultivation of Willow-Leaved Pear:

Dry stony sites, forest edges etc.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Pyrus salicifolia:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.