Colmar d'Arenberg

Origin/History

Colmar d'Arenberg is attributed to Van Mons and is thought to have originated in 1821 (Hedrick). Hovey notes that M. Bivort, who figures it in his Album de Pomologie under the name Kartoffel, recorded that information regarding the variety was communicated by M. Millot of Nancy, who states that it originally came from Van Mons without name, marked No. 224 — which corresponds, in Van Mons's printed Catalogue of 1825, to the Kartoffel birne. Hence, Bivort observes, it has been called one of Van Mons's seedlings, notwithstanding that its name indicates a German origin. Downing characterizes it as a large Belgian pear. It was introduced to American collections in 1845 and first fruited, Hovey believes, in 1847.

Hovey writes that Colmar d'Arenberg is one of the few pears whose reputation does not seem to be fully established — its character appears variable, sometimes excellent and again of only medium quality. So far as he had opportunity to observe it under various conditions of soil, locality, and exposure, he considered it a variety well worthy of cultivation. When well grown and properly ripened it so nearly approaches Passe Colmar that Hovey had known good judges to mistake it for that fine pear.

Tree

Hovey describes the tree as a distinct grower: moderately vigorous, very erect and upright in habit, branching off at an acute angle, making but few lateral shoots — those few very strong and vigorous — the whole being studded with numerous short stocky spurs. Annual shoots are very stout and downy at the ends. It succeeds very well upon the quince, requiring good cultivation to produce large specimens.

Wood. Yellowish brown, dotted with numerous small roundish russet specks, stout, and short-jointed; old wood grayish olive.

Buds. Small, short, flattened, little diverging. Flower-buds medium size, ovate, angular, pointed, dark shining brown, little shaded with gray.

Leaves. Large, narrow oval, tapering to the point, thick, deep glossy green, flat, coarsely and deeply serrated; petioles medium length, about one and a quarter inches long, stout.

Flowers. Small; petals small, roundish ovate, cupped; clusters compact.

Fruit

Size. Large to very large (Downing, Hedrick); Hovey gives it as of the largest size, nearly equal to the Duchess of Angouleme, often weighing eighteen or twenty ounces, about four and a half inches long and three and a half inches in diameter. Elliott and Thomas also describe it as large.

Form. Sources give the form variously: Hovey calls it obtusely pyramidal, with an uneven surface, largest about the middle, rounding off to the crown and tapering to the stem, near which it is little contracted on one side. Elliott describes it as obovate pyriform. Downing calls it roundish obtuse pyriform. Thomas calls it turbinate pyriform. Hedrick says the form is rather variable, obovate, uneven and bossed in outline.

Stem. Medium length, about an inch long, stout, slightly swollen at the base, and obliquely inserted in a slight cavity, with a high projection on one side (Hovey).

Cavity. Slight, with a high projection on one side (Hovey).

Calyx/Eye. Eye medium size, open, and very deeply sunk; segments of the calyx very short and rounded (Hovey).

Basin. Large, funnel-shaped, somewhat angular, very deep (Hovey).

Skin. Fair, slightly rough, pale green, becoming yellowish when mature, traced and netted with russet around the crown and stem, and thickly covered with conspicuous reddish russet specks (Hovey). Elliott gives the color as yellow, with russet. Downing says the skin is green, becoming yellow at maturity, with nettings of russet and dots. Thomas calls it greenish-yellow. Hedrick describes it as yellow-ochre on the shaded side and russeted on the exposed face.

Flesh and Flavor. Hovey: yellowish white, fine, melting, half buttery, and juicy; flavor rich, sugary, perfumed, and excellent. Downing: whitish, half fine, granulous, sweet, vinous; quality "Good." Hedrick: yellowish-white, semi-melting, juicy, sweet, slightly aromatic — a handsome but coarse pear. Thomas: quality poor. (Sources disagree on quality, from Hovey's "excellent" to Thomas's "poor," with Downing and Hedrick intermediate; Hovey himself notes the variety's character is variable.)

Core/Seeds. Core large; seeds large, broad, dark brown (Hovey).

Season

Ripe in November and December (Hovey; Downing). Elliott gives October, November. Thomas gives November. Hedrick gives October.

Uses

Downing notes the variety is mainly to be valued for its size and for cooking.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.