Napoleon

Napoleon

Origin/History

Napoleon was raised in 1808 by M. Liard, a gardener at Mons, Belgium. It is referred to as a Belgian variety in multiple American sources. The Napoleon d'Hiver was noted by River as not sufficiently distinct from Napoleon to be retained as a separate variety (Elliott).

Tree

Vigorous, upright grower with olive-colored shoots (Elliott). Shoots described as rather erect (Thomas). Very productive, thrifty, and hardy (Thomas). Fruit is described as largest and finest when grown on Quince stock, on which the variety is very productive and considered valuable as a market sort (Elliott). Best on warm, light soils (Thomas).

Fruit

Size: Large (Hedrick, Elliott). Thomas describes the fruit as medium or rather large — a slight divergence from the other two sources.

Form: Obtuse-pyriform, swelled toward the base (Hedrick). Elliott gives the form as obtuse to obovate and rounded pyriform. Thomas describes it as conic-pyriform, obtuse, variable. All three sources agree on the obtuse-pyriform character; Thomas's "conic-pyriform" suggests greater variation in form than the other sources indicate.

Stem: Varying, usually stout (Elliott). Thomas describes the stem as an inch long, stout, and slightly sunk.

Calyx: Medium, open (Elliott). Not described in other sources.

Basin: Rather large (Thomas). Not described in other sources.

Skin: Thin, smooth, bright green changing to greenish-yellow, covered with numerous brown dots, seldom blushed (Hedrick). Elliott describes the skin as greenish yellow and smooth. Thomas gives green becoming pale yellowish-green. All sources agree on a green to greenish-yellow ground color; only Hedrick notes the numerous brown dots and the rarely blushed character, and describes the skin as thin.

Flesh and Flavor: White and fine, tender, melting, rather granular, very juicy, with a very saccharine, refreshing, and aromatic flavor; rated first quality and described as a valuable dessert pear (Hedrick). Elliott describes the flesh as white, tender, and juicy, rating it "good." Thomas gives the flesh as uncommonly juicy and melting, moderately rich, good — but notes it is often astringent and worthless. Hedrick and Thomas conflict on quality: Hedrick rates the variety highly as a dessert pear, while Thomas cautions that it is often astringent and worthless, and notes that it needs ripening in a warm room to reach full quality.

Core/Seeds: Not described in sources.

Season

Mid-October or nearly November to December (Hedrick). October (Elliott). Mid-autumn till winter (Thomas). Thomas specifically notes that the fruit needs ripening in a warm room.

Uses

Valuable dessert pear (Hedrick). Valuable as a market sort when grown on Quince stock (Elliott). Best on warm, light soils (Thomas).

Subtypes/Variants

The Napoleon d'Hiver was considered by River to be insufficiently distinct from Napoleon to merit retention as a separate variety (Elliott).