Long Green
PearLong Green
Origin/History
An old French variety, described by Duhamel (per Downing). Hedrick notes this French pear is distinct from the Verte Longue (which is synonymous with Verte Longue d'Automne), though the two pears have been confused and have various names in common. It has been cultivated in France for approximately the last 100 years (as of Hedrick, 1921). Longue Verte has ten French synonyms. Hedrick cites references dating to Downing's Fruit Trees of America (1869), Dochnahl's Führ. Obstkunde (1856), Leroy's Dictionnaire de Pomologie (1869), and Mathieu's Nomenclature Pomologique (1889).
Thomas (1903) notes that "The Striped Long Green is a sub-variety" and that "Long Green of Autumn (Verte Longue d'Automne, or Mouthwater) is quite distinct" — see Subtypes/Variants below.
Tree
Downing: Tree very vigorous and productive. Thomas: Profusely productive, and valuable. Other tree characteristics not described in source.
Fruit
Size
Sources disagree on size. Coxe describes it as "a small pear." Downing describes the fruit as "small." Thomas describes it as "Rather large." Hedrick describes it as "above medium."
Form
Downing: obovate acute pyriform. Thomas: long-pyriform, the ends rather acute. Hedrick: very long, fig-like in form, narrowed from middle to stalk, acute.
Stem/Stalk
Downing: Stalk of medium length, nearly perpendicularly inserted. Thomas: stem oblique. Hedrick: narrowed from middle to stalk (implying stalk insertion at the narrowed end).
Cavity
Not described in source.
Calyx
Downing: Calyx small.
Basin
Downing: almost without basin.
Skin
Coxe: skin green when fully ripe. Downing: Skin remains green when fully ripe. Thomas: surface wholly green. Hedrick: grass-green passing to brownish-green on the face exposed to the sun, uniformly sprinkled with dots of gray-russet.
Flesh/Flavor
Coxe: flesh melting and juicy, with a spicy taste, not universally admired, very similar to that of the Verte Longue Panachee. Downing: Flesh melting, juicy, with a pleasant spicy flavor. Good. Thomas: flesh very juicy, with a good and agreeable flavor. Hedrick: flesh greenish-white, fine or semi-fine, melting, rather granular around the seeds; juice abundant, saccharine, sweet, with a characteristic perfume, often very slight; rated "second" (quality).
Core/Seeds
Hedrick: flesh rather granular around the seeds (the only reference to seeds/core in the sources).
Season
Coxe: Ripens at the end of September and beginning of October. Downing: September. Hedrick: September.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Thomas describes two related pears:
- The Striped Long Green — a sub-variety of Long Green.
- Long Green of Autumn (Verte Longue d'Automne, or Mouthwater) — quite distinct from Long Green: smaller, much more rounded, stem long, with a brown cheek; very juicy and pleasant; ripens late in autumn, a month after Long Green.
Hedrick corroborates that Long Green is distinct from the Verte Longue (synonymous with Verte Longue d'Automne), though the two have been confused and share various names.
Coxe compares Long Green's flavor to that of the Verte Longue Panachee, noting the two are very similar in taste.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)
- Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817) — listed as Verte Longue, Mouille Bouche, Or Long Green
View original book sources (4)
— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)
- VERTE LONGUE, MOUILLE BOUCHE, OR LONG GREEN.
This is a small pear, the skin green when fully ripe; the flesh melting and juicy, with a spicy taste, not universally admired, very similar to that of the Verte Longue Panachee. It ripens in the end of September, and beginning of October.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Long Green.
Verte Longue. Mouille Bouche. Mouthwater.
An old variety, described by Duhamel. Tree very vigorous and productive.
Fruit small, obovate acute pyriform. Stalk of medium length, nearly perpendicularly inserted. Calyx small, almost without basin. Skin remains green when fully ripe. Flesh melting, juicy, with a pleasant spicy flavor. Good. September.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Long Green. (Verte Longue.) Rather large, long-pyriform, the ends rather acute, stem oblique; surface wholly green; flesh very juicy, with a good and agreeable flavor. The Striped Long Green is a sub-variety. Long Green of Autumn (Verte Longue d'Automne, or Mouthwater) is quite distinct, being smaller, much more rounded, stem long, and with a brown cheek; very juicy and pleasant; ripens late in autumn, a month after the preceding. Profusely productive, and valuable.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Long Green,
- Downing Fr. Trees Am. 803. 1869. Belgische Zapfenbirne.
- Dochnahl Führ. Obstkunde 2:139. 1856. Longue-Verte.
- Leroy Diet. Pom. 2:349, fig. 1869. Grune Lange Herbstbirne.
- Mathieu Nom. Pom. 228. 1889.
This French pear is distinct from the Verte Longue which is synonymous with Verte Longue d'Automne, though these two pears have been confused and have various names in common. It has been cultivated in France for the last 100 years. Longue Verte has ten French synonyms. Fruit above medium, very long, fig-like in form, narrowed from middle to stalk, acute, grass-green passing to brownish-green on the face exposed to the sun, uniformly sprinkled with dots of gray-russet; flesh greenish-white, fine or semi-fine, melting, rather granular around the seeds; juice abundant, saccharine, sweet, with a characteristic perfume, often very slight; second; Sept.