Henri Bivort
PearHenri Bivort
Origin / History
A Belgian pear, listed by Elliott simply as foreign. It was raised from the last seed beds made at Louvain by Van Mons. Bivort bought the seedlings in 1844 and transplanted them to Geest-Saint-Rémy near Jodoigne, Belgium (Hedrick). Downing enters it as "Henri (Bivort.)". Hedrick cites the Magazine of Horticulture (20:462, 1854) and Leroy's Dictionnaire de Pomologie (2:273, with figure, 1869). He also cites Mas, who figured it in Le Verger (2:137, fig. 67, 1866–73) under the name "Poire Henri."
Tree
Vigorous; very vigorous (Elliott).
Fruit
Size: Medium to large. Most authors call it large, and Hedrick gives large or above medium. Downing alone calls it medium.
Form: Obtuse pyriform to obovate pyriform; obtuse-pyramidal (Hedrick). Thomas calls it Doyenné-form.
Stem: Not described in source.
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Open (Elliott).
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Smooth. Pale green to greenish yellow or olive-yellow, marked with brown. Russet appears in a few patches (Downing), or as greenish russet in stripes and mottling (Hedrick).
Dots: Brown or brownish specks; many, green and brown (Downing).
Flesh and flavor: Flesh whitish to yellowish white. Fine, semi-buttery and "rarely very gritty" (Hedrick). Half buttery to buttery, and half melting to melting; "rather melting" (Hedrick). Juicy, with plentiful juice. Sweet and sugary, perfumed. Hedrick adds acid, aromatic, and delicate. Downing rates it "Good"; Hedrick ranks it "first."
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Most authors give September; Hedrick gives the end of August.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
View original book sources (4)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Henri Bivort.
Foreign. Tree, very vigorous. Fruit, large, obtuse pyriform ; calyx, open ; skin, smooth, pale green, with brownish specks ; flesh, yellowish white, half buttery, juicy, melting, perfumed. September.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Henri Bivort.
Henri (Bivort.)
A Belgian variety. Tree vigorous.
Fruit medium, obovate pyriform, greenish yellow, few patches of russet, and many green and brown dots. Flesh whitish, juicy, half melting, sugary. Good. September.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Henri Bivort. Large, Doyenné-form, greenish-yellow and brown; melting, buttery, juicy, sweet, perfumed. September. Belgian.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Henri Bivort.
- Mag. Hort. 20:462. 1854. 2. Leroy Diet. Pom. 2:273, fig. 1869. Poire Henri. 3. Mas Le Verger 2:137, fig. 67. 1866-73. Issued from the last seed beds made at Louvain by Van Mons and bought in 1844 by Bivort who transplanted the seedlings to Geest-Saint-Rémy near Jodoigne, Bel. Fruit large or above medium, obtuse-pyramidal, smooth, olive-yellow, dotted with brown, striped and mottled with greenish russet; flesh yellowish-white, fine, semi-buttery, rather melting, rarely very gritty, juice plentiful, sweet, acid, aromatic and delicate; first; end of Aug.