Enfant Prodigue
PearEnfant Prodigue
Origin/History
A seedling raised by Van Mons of about 1830 (Hedrick). Of Belgian origin (Thomas). Cited in Downing's Fruits and Fruit Trees of America in 1845 and again in 1869, in Leroy's Dictionnaire de Pomologie (1869, with figure), and in Mathieu's Nomenclature Pomologique (1889). Known in Continental literature under the names Roussekt Enfant Prodigue and Verschwenderin (Hedrick).
Tree
Not described in sources.
Fruit
Size: The sources conflict: Hedrick describes the fruit as medium to large; Thomas describes it as rather small.
Form: Ovate but variable (Hedrick); pyriform (Thomas).
Stem: Not described in sources.
Cavity: Not described in sources.
Calyx: Not described in sources.
Basin: Not described in sources.
Skin: Greenish-yellow ground, largely obscured with cinnamon-colored russet, more or less carmined on the side exposed to the sun (Hedrick). Green, rough, russeted (Thomas).
Flesh/Flavor: Greenish-white, dense, melting, juicy, sugary, aromatic, acidulous, astringent; rated second quality (Hedrick). Granular, juicy, vinous, perfumed (Thomas).
Core/Seeds: Not described in sources.
Season
The sources conflict: September (Hedrick); October (Thomas).
Uses
Not described in sources.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in sources.
Other
Not described in sources.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Enfant Prodigue. 1. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 385. 1845. 2. Leroy Diet. Pom. 2:133, fig. 1869. Roussekt Enfant Prodigue. 3. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 846. 1869. Verschwenderin. 4. Mathieu Norn. Pom. 293. 1889. A Van Mons seedling of about 1830. Fruit medium to large, ovate but variable, greenish-yellow, largely obscured with cinnamon-colored russet, more or less carmined on the side of the sun; flesh greenish-white, dense, melting, juicy, sugary, aromatic, acidulous, astringent; second; Sept.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Enfant Prodigue. Rather small, pyriform, green, rough, russeted; granular, juicy, vinous, perfumed. October. Belgian.