Belle des Arbres

Pear

Belle des Arbres

Origin/History

Belle des Arbres was introduced by M. Houdin of Chateaudun, France. Hedrick cites the variety's first appearance in print as Guide Pratique (1876) and Mathieu Nom. Pom. (1889), and gives the date of introduction as about 1876. Bunyard gives the introduction date as about 1880. Bunyard notes that the fruit resembles Uvedale's St. Germain. He also observes that in French works the name is consistently written with an accent on the "é," leading him to suggest that "Arbrés" may be a place name rather than the common word "arbres" (trees), as it is usually written.

Tree

Growth is vigorous; fertility is described as good (Bunyard).

Fruit

Size

Very large. Bunyard gives dimensions of 3½ inches wide by 5 inches tall.

Form

Irregular oval, flat-sided and much bossed (Bunyard). Hedrick describes the form as beautiful.

Stem

Very long, generally curved, with a fleshy ring always present at the base (Bunyard).

Cavity

Not described in source.

Calyx

Eye closed or open (Bunyard).

Basin

Irregular (Bunyard).

Skin

Smooth (Bunyard). Color is grass green with slight russet (Bunyard). Hedrick describes the fruit as slightly washed with rose.

Flesh/Flavor

Flesh breaking, firm, white, and very juicy (Bunyard). Hedrick describes the flesh as fine and smooth.

Core/Seeds

Not described in source.

Season

Hedrick: March to June. Bunyard: culinary use through June.

Uses

A cooking (culinary) fruit (Bunyard; Hedrick). Hedrick rates it first-class for cooking. Bunyard describes it as a fine late cooking fruit.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 2 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 4 catalogs (1894–1913) from England, Oregon

Woodburn Nurseries , Woodburn, Marion Co. , Oregon — 1894
George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900
Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
Thomas Rivers & Son , Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire , England — 1913

View original book sources (2)

Belle des Arbres. i. Guide Prat. 108. 1876. 2. Mathieu Nom. Pom. 172. 1889. Introduced by M. Houdin, Chateaudun, Fr., about 1876. Fruit very large, of beautiful form, slightly washed with rose; flesh fine and smooth; first for cooking; Mar. to June.

— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)

BELLE DES ARBRES. Culinary, till June, very large, 3½ by 5, irregular oval, flat sided and much bossed. Skin, smooth. Colour, grass green with slight russet. Flesh, breaking, firm, white, very juicy. Eye, closed or open in an irregular basin. Stem, very long, generally curved with always a fleshy ring at base. Growth, vigorous; fertility good. Origin, introduced by M. Houdin of Chateaudun, France, about 1880. This fruit which resembles Uvedales St. Germain is a fine late cooking fruit. As it always has the accent on the "é" in French works I presume "Arbrés" is a place name and not as usually written "arbres" (trees).

Belle des Bois: see Flemish Beauty.

Belle de Flandres: see Flemish Beauty.

— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)