Plantagenet
PearPlantagenet
Origin/History
Downing (1900) describes Plantagenet as a new Belgian Pear. Hedrick (1921) gives a more specific and conflicting account: the variety was raised from seed by the old Horticultural Society of Maine-et-Loire, with the parent tree yielding its first fruit in 1858 in the Society's garden at Angers, France. [Note: Downing's attribution to Belgium and Hedrick's attribution to the Horticultural Society of Maine-et-Loire at Angers, France are in direct conflict; both accounts are preserved here.]
References: Leroy, Dict. Pom. 2:534, fig. 1869; Downing, Fr. Trees Am. 834, 1869.
Tree
Young wood reddish yellow brown (Downing). Other tree characteristics not described in source.
Fruit
Size: Downing gives medium; Hedrick gives above medium. Sources disagree on this point.
Form: Downing describes the fruit as pyriform. Hedrick describes it as irregular-ovate, bossed, and swelled at the central circumference. Sources differ on form.
Stem: Long, slender, set in a slight cavity, with a lip (Downing).
Cavity: Slight (Downing).
Calyx: Open; segments partially recurved (Downing).
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: The two sources give partially conflicting accounts. Downing describes the skin as greenish yellow, netted, patched, and dotted with russet. Hedrick describes it as a uniform bright green, with some russet around the calyx and sprinkled with numerous dark brown dots. Both sources agree on a green ground color with russet presence; Downing's description of the ground as greenish yellow and the russet as netted and patched contrasts with Hedrick's uniform bright green and russet localized near the calyx.
Flesh and Flavor: Flesh whitish (both sources). Downing describes it as juicy and melting, rating the flavor good to very good. Hedrick describes the flesh as fine or semi-fine and extremely melting, with juice very abundant, extremely saccharine, and acidulous, possessing a delicious perfume that gives an after-taste of musk; quality rated first.
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Sources disagree significantly. Downing gives November. Hedrick gives end of September and early October.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Plantagenet.
A new Belgian Pear. Young wood reddish yellow brown.
Fruit medium, pyriform, greenish yellow, netted, patched, and dotted with russet. Stalk long, slender, set in slight cavity, with a lip. Calyx open. Segments partially recurved. Flesh whitish, juicy, melting. Good to very good. November.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Plantagenet.
- Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:534, fig. 1869.
- Downing Fr. Trees Am. 834. 1869.
The Plantagenet was raised from seed by the old Horticultural Society of Maine-et-Loire. The parent tree gave its first fruit in 1858 in the Society's garden at Angers. Fruit above medium, irregular-ovate, bossed, swelled at the central circumference, of a uniform bright green, some russet around the calyx and sprinkled with numerous dark brown dots; flesh whitish, fine or semi-fine, extremely melting; juice very abundant, extremely saccharine, acidulous, possessing a delicious perfume which gives an after-taste of musk; first; end of Sept. and early Oct.