Sucre Vert
Pear
Sucre Vert
[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — Elliott's "Green Sugar" entry (1865) calls the fruit American and gives a season of August and September. This is incompatible with the French origin and October season in the other sources, and may describe a different pear. His details are kept below with attribution.]
Origin / History
An old pear (Downing). Coxe says it came from France. Hedrick says it is said to have come from Barmont, a chateau on the border of Burgundy, and was well known in Paris in 1670. He cites earlier descriptions by Duhamel (1768, with plate XXXIV), Leroy (1869), and Hogg (1884). Downing calls its origin unknown. Elliott, who heads his entry "Green Sugar," calls it American.
Tree
Of vigorous growth (Coxe).
Fruit
Size: Rather small to moderate; medium or below, sometimes small.
Form: Roundish to globular-turbinate, a little oblong, flat at the blossom end, a little diminished toward the stalk (Coxe). Downing calls it obovate pyriform, and Thomas oblate turbinate.
Stem: Large, about an inch in length (Coxe). Downing calls it medium, fleshy at its insertion.
Cavity: Very slight (Downing).
Calyx: Not described in source.
Basin: Shallow, the eye sunk but little below the surrounding part.
Skin: Smooth and shining. Green, intense green in Hedrick's account, a little whitened on the shaded side, yellowish when ripe. Elliott calls it yellowish green.
Dots: Numerous, gray and green (Hedrick).
Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellowish-white, buttery, melting, semi-fine, with some grit about the center. Juicy; juice plentiful, sweet, sugary, slightly perfumed, pleasant, "well tasted" (Coxe). Downing rates it "Good," and Hedrick "excellent but variable."
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
October. Elliott alone gives August and September.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
- Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817) — listed as No. 31. Sucré Vert, or Sugared Green
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921) — listed as Sucre-Vert
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865) — listed as Green Sugar
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903) — listed as Green Sugar
View original book sources (5)
— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)No. 31. Sucré Vert, or Sugared Green.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Sucre Vert, Or Green Sugar Pear", pp. 298–298]
- SUCRE VERT, OR GREEN SUGAR PEAR.
This pear came from France; it is of moderate size; the form round, a little oblong—the blossom end flat, the eye sunk but little below the surrounding part, towards the stalk it is a little diminished; the stem large, about an inch in length—the skin is smooth and green—the flesh buttery, the juice sweet and well tasted—it ripens in October. The tree is of vigorous growth.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Green Sugar. Prince's Green Sugar. American. Medium, roundish obovate, yellowish green. August, September.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)SUCRE VERT.
Green Sugar. Bayonnaise. Gris de Chine. Verdette. Sucrée d'Automne.
An old Pear, of unknown origin.
Fruit medium or small, obovate pyriform. Skin green. Stalk medium, fleshy at its insertion in a very slight cavity. Basin shallow. Flesh juicy, melting, sweet, and pleasant. Good. October.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Green Sugar. Rather small, oblate turbinate, green; juicy, melting, pleasant. October.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Sucre-Vert.
- Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:189. Pl. XXXIV. 1768. 2. Leroy Diet. Pom. 2:677, fig. 1869. 3. Hogg Fruit Man. 649. 1884.
Said to have come from Barmont, a chateau situated on the border of Burgundy. It was well known in Paris in 1670. Fruit medium or below, globular-turbinate; skin shining, intense green, dotted with numerous gray and green dots, a little whitened on the shaded side, yellowish when ripe; flesh yellowish-white, buttery, melting, semi-fine, some grit about the center; juice plentiful, sugary, slightly perfumed; excellent but variable; Oct.