Épine d'Hiver
Pear
Origin/History
A very old French pear, reported as early as 1675 (Hedrick). Historical references include Langley's Pomona (1729), Duhamel's Traité des Arbres Fruitiers (1768, with plate illustration), Bradley's Gardener (1739), and Lindley's Guide to the Orchard and Kitchen Garden (1831). William Coxe described the variety in 1817 under the name Épine d'Hyver, or Winter Thorn.
Tree
Healthy, although not a strong grower; bears well (Hedrick).
Fruit
Size: The two sources conflict. Coxe describes it as a large pear; Hedrick gives it as medium to above.
Form: Roundish-obovate (Hedrick). Coxe describes the shape as round at the blossom end, diminishing gradually with a gentle swell towards the stalk, where it is somewhat round.
Stem: Rather long, fleshy at the base, inserted without depression (Hedrick). Coxe describes the stem as large, about an inch in length.
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Small, open (Hedrick).
Basin: Rather shallow (Hedrick).
Skin: Smooth. Green becoming yellowish (Hedrick); Coxe describes the color as yellowish green. Irregularly covered with grayish-brown dots (Hedrick).
Flesh/Flavor: Whitish (Hedrick), melting, tender, buttery (Hedrick), rich (Coxe). Flavor sweet and agreeable, with a musky note (Hedrick); Coxe describes it simply as of an agreeable flavour.
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Ripens in November; keeps until January.
Uses
A dessert pear (Hedrick).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)
- EPINE D'HYVER, OR WINTER THORN.
Is a large pear, round at the blossom end, diminishing gradually with a gentle swell towards the stalk, where it is somewhat round. The stem is large, about an inch in length; the skin is smooth, of a yellowish green; the flesh rich, melting, and tender; of an agreeable flavour: it ripens in November, and will keep till January.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Épine d'Hiver.
- Langley Pomona 132. 1729.
- Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:184, Pl. XLIV, fig. 3. 1768. Winter Thorn. 3. Bradley Card. 199. 1739.
- Lindley Guide Orch. Card. 410. 1831. A very old French pear, reported as early as 1675. Tree healthy, although not a strong grower, and bears well. Fruit medium to above, roundish-obovate, smooth, green becoming yellowish and irregularly covered with grayish-brown dots; stem rather long, fleshy at base, inserted without depression; calyx small, open, set in a rather shallow basin; flesh whitish, melting, tender, buttery, with a sweet and agreeable musky flavor; a dessert pear; Nov. to Jan.