Souvenir D'Espéren
Pear
Souvenir D'Espéren
Origin/History
Raised from seed by Major Espéren of Mechlin, Belgium, about the middle of the nineteenth century. The pear reached America about 1850. The name Souvenir d'Espéren was at one time applied to Fondante de Noël, in consequence of which confusion has existed as to the identity of the two sorts. Downing, writing in 1869, noted this pear as one of the very best for either amateur or commercial grower, and at that time it was rather widely planted. Hedrick (1921) observed that growers seldom set it by his day, finding that neither tree nor fruit rise much above mediocrity, and that the variety has no outstanding character to give it individuality.
Tree
Vigorous, healthy, hardy, and productive, holding its foliage well and late (Downing). Medium in size, upright, slightly spreading, dense-topped (Hedrick). Branches reddish-brown overlaid with thin scarf-skin, marked with very conspicuous but scattering lenticels. Branchlets very thick and long, with long internodes, light brown mingled with green, dull, glabrous, sprinkled with small, conspicuous, raised lenticels. Downing describes the young wood as olive reddish yellow brown.
Leaf-buds very small, short, pointed, plump, free. Leaves 3 in. long, 1¾ in. wide; apex abruptly pointed; margin uneven, finely serrate; petiole 2½ in. long, tinged red. Flower-buds small, short, conical, plump, free, borne singly on very short spurs; flowers open late, showy, 1½ in. across, averaging 7 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1⅛ in. long, slender.
Fruit
Size and Form: Large. 3½ in. long, 2½ in. wide (Hedrick). Oblong pyriform (Downing); oblong-obovate-pyriform (Hedrick). Surface uneven.
Stem: Long and slender, 1½ in. long (Hedrick), inclined (Downing). Set in a very obtuse and shallow cavity, or the cavity lacking entirely (Hedrick); Downing describes a slight cavity. In both accounts the flesh is drawn up about the base of the stem in a lip.
Calyx: Open (Downing); partly open, small (Hedrick). Lobes/segments separated at the base, short, narrow, acute (Hedrick); Downing describes segments as medium, erect, sometimes a little recurved.
Basin: Small (Downing), shallow (Hedrick), narrow, uneven (Downing), obtuse, wrinkled (Hedrick).
Skin: Thick, roughened with russet (Hedrick). Color greenish-yellow, mottled and patched with russet, especially around the stalk and calyx (Downing), with russet often overspreading nearly the entire surface (Hedrick). Dots numerous, russet, small.
Flesh and Flavor: Yellowish. Juicy and aromatic (both sources). Downing describes the flesh as melting; Hedrick describes it as very granular near the center, firm, crisp but tender — a conflicting characterization. Flavor pleasant, aromatic, and vinous (Hedrick). Quality good to very good.
Core and Seeds: Core large, closed, with clasping core-lines. Calyx-tube short, wide, conical. Seeds small, short, plump, acute, light brown.
Season
Downing gives October and November. Hedrick gives the last of November and December — a later ripening period than Downing reports. The pears keep well until ripe, after which they quickly decay (Hedrick).
Uses
Regarded by Downing (1869) as one of the very best for either amateur or market cultivation. By Hedrick's assessment (1921), worth planting only for the sake of diversity, the variety having no outstanding character to distinguish it from others of similar quality.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
The variety is referenced in Barry's The Fruit Garden (1851), Downing's Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1869), and Tilton's Journal of Horticulture (1869).
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)SOUVENIR D'ESPEREN.
This seedling Pear of Major Esperen's proves one of the very best, either for amateur or market cultivation. Tree vigorous, healthy, hardy, and productive, and holds its foliage well and late. Young wood olive reddish yellow brown.
Fruit large, oblong pyriform. Surface uneven. Skin greenish yellow, mostly covered with dull rough russet, especially around the stalk and calyx. Stalk long, inclined, set in a slight cavity, surrounded by a lip. Calyx open. Segments medium, erect, sometimes a little recurved. Basin small, narrow, uneven. Flesh yellowish, juicy, melting, aromatic. Very good. October, November.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)SOUVENIR D'ESPÉREN
- Barry Fr. Garden 318. 1851. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 857. 1869. 3. Tilton Jour. Hort. 6:14, fig. 1869.
Downing, in 1869, noted this old French pear as one of the best for either amateur or commercial grower, and at that time it was rather widely planted. Now, however, growers seldom set it. The trees are vigorous, hardy, healthy, and productive, and the fruits are attractive in appearance and rather good in quality, but neither tree nor fruit rise much above mediocrity, and the variety has no outstanding character to give it individuality. The crop comes in season in December, the pears keeping well until ripe, after which they quickly decay. The variety is worth planting only for the sake of diversity.
Major Espéren, Mechlin, Belgium, raised this pear from seed about the middle of the nineteenth century. The name Souvenir d'Espéren was at one time applied to Fondante de Noël, in consequence of which confusion has existed as to the identity of the two sorts. The pear reached America about 1850.
Tree medium in size, upright, slightly spreading, dense-topped, productive; branches reddish-brown overlaid with thin scarf-skin, marked with very conspicuous but scattering lenticels; branchlets very thick and long, with long internodes, light brown mingled with green, dull, glabrous, sprinkled with small, conspicuous, raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds very small, short, pointed, plump, free. Leaves 3 in. long, 1¾ in. wide; apex abruptly pointed; margin uneven, finely serrate; petiole 2½ in. long, tinged red. Flower-buds small, short, conical, plump, free, singly on very short spurs; flowers open late, showy, 1½ in. across, average 7 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1⅛ in. long, slender.
Fruit ripe the last of November and December; large, 3½ in. long, 2½ in. wide, oblong-obovate-pyriform, the surface uneven; stem 1½ in. long, slender; cavity very obtuse and shallow or lacking, the flesh drawn up about the base of the stem in a lip; calyx partly open, small; lobes separated at the base, short, narrow, acute; basin shallow, narrow, obtuse, wrinkled; skin thick, roughened with russet; color greenish-yellow, mottled and patched with russet, sprinkled with many russet dots and often with russet overspreading nearly the entire surface; dots numerous, russet, small; flesh yellowish, very granular near the center, firm, crisp but tender, juicy, with a pleasant, aromatic, vinous flavor; quality good to very good. Core large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds small, short, plump, acute, light brown.