Leopold I

Pear

Origin & History

Leopold I is a Belgian pear, a posthumous gain of Van Mons which gave its first fruit in 1848. Downing notes it was little known and, so far as he had fruited it, not specially valuable.

Tree

Tree moderately vigorous.

Fruit

Size: Downing describes the fruit as medium; Hedrick calls it above medium.

Form: Downing describes it as oblate obtuse pyriform. Hedrick describes it as ovate, regular, swelled in the lower part, obtuse.

Skin: Downing describes the skin as yellow, partially netted and patched with russet, with many russet dots. Hedrick describes it as grass-green, often yellowish, dotted, streaked, and stained with russet.

Stem: Stalk stout (Downing).

Cavity: Small (Downing).

Calyx: Open (Downing).

Basin: Small, uneven (Downing).

Flesh & Flavor: Downing describes the flesh as yellowish, juicy, melting, and sweet. Hedrick gives a more detailed account: flesh white with some yellow tinge, fine, very melting, juicy, sweet, vinous, aromatic, and delicate. Both rate the quality as good to very good.

Season

Downing gives the season as December; Hedrick as November.

Book Sources

Described in 2 period pomological works

View original book sources (2)

Leopold I.

A Belgian Pear, little known, and, so far as we have fruited it, not specially valuable. Tree moderately vigorous.

Fruit medium, oblate obtuse pyriform, yellow, partially netted and patched with russet. Many russet dots. Stalk stout. Cavity small. Calyx open. Basin small, uneven. Flesh yellowish, juicy, melting, sweet. Good to very good. (Dec.)

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

Leopold I.

i. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 518. 1857. 2. Leroy Diet. Pom. 2:338, fig. 1869.

A posthumous gain of Van Mons which gave its first fruit in 1848. Fruit above medium, ovate, regular, swelled in the lower part, obtuse, grass-green, often yellowish, dotted, streaked, and stained with russet; flesh white, with some yellow tinge, fine, very melting, juicy, sweet, vinous, aromatic and delicate; good to very good; Nov.

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