Marie Louise d'Uccle

Pear

Marie Louise d'Uccle

Origin/History

Marie Louise d'Uccle is a seedling of Marie Louise, raised by M. Gambier, a neighbor and contemporary of Van Mons, in the village of Uccle near Brussels. The variety produced its first fruits in 1846. It is described as rather similar to its parent, Marie Louise.

Tree

Tree a vigorous, upright grower. Young wood dark brown.

Fruit

Size and Form: Above medium to rather large (Downing gives "above medium"; Hedrick "rather large"). Shape roundish obovate pyriform (Downing); pyriform (Hedrick).

Skin: Surface rough, yellow, with a shade of brown in the sun, considerably netted, patched, and numerously dotted with russet (Downing). Hedrick describes the color as pale cinnamon-colored russet.

Stem: Medium length, inclined, curved, set in a small cavity, sometimes by a lip.

Calyx: Large, partially open, with persistent segments.

Basin: Large, uneven.

Flesh and Flavor: White (Downing), very fine, very melting, buttery, saccharine, very juicy, and richly flavored (Hedrick); also described as juicy, melting, and vinous, with a little astringency (Downing). Quality good to very good.

Season

September and October.

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Bibliography (Hedrick): Card. Chron. 1060, 1179. 1865; Bunyard Handb. Hardy Fr. 187. 1920.

Book Sources

Described in 2 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 5 catalogs (1900–1917) from England

George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900
James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
Thomas Rivers & Son , Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire , England — 1913
George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1914
George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1917

View original book sources (2)

Marie Louise d'Uccle.

This variety was raised from a seed of the Marie Louise, by M. Gambier, in a village (Uccle) near Brussels. Tree a vigorous, upright grower. Young wood dark brown.

Fruit above medium, roundish obovate pyriform. Surface rough, yellow, with a shade of brown in the sun, considerably netted, patched, and numerously dotted with russet. Stalk medium, inclined, curved, set in a small cavity, sometimes by a lip. Calyx large, partially open, with persistent segments. Basin large, uneven. Flesh white, juicy, melting, vinous, a little astringent. Good to very good. September, October.

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

Marie Louise d'Uccle.

x. Card. Chron. 1060, 1179. 1865. 2. Bunyard Handb. Hardy Fr. 187. 1920.

Marie Louise d'Uccle is a seedling of Marie Louise raised by M. Gambier, a neighbor and contemporary of Van Mons. It produced its first fruits in 1846. Fruit rather large, pyriform, pale cinnamon-colored russet, rather similar to Marie Louise; flesh very fine, very melting, buttery, saccharine, very juicy and richly flavored; good to very good; Sept. and Oct.

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