Triomphe de Jodoigne

Origin / History

A Belgian pear, raised by M. Simon Bouvier of Jodoigne, Belgium. Sources agree he raised it as a seedling in 1830 (Downing, Bunyard, Hedrick), and it fruited for the first time in 1843 (Herefordshire Pomona, Bunyard, Hedrick); the Herefordshire Pomona gives the first fruiting as 1843 while noting M. Simon Bouvier as the raiser. Downing states it was "introduced in 1843." Hedrick's earliest reference is Magazine of Horticulture 14:112 (1848), followed by Leroy's Dictionnaire de Pomologie 2:706 (1869) and Bunyard's Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920).

Tree

Growth vigorous (Elliott: "very strong, vigorous grower"; Desportes: "exceedingly robust"; Downing: "vigorous and productive"; Bunyard: "vigorous, straggling"; Thomas: "vigorous, spreading, irregular"). Sources agree the tree is not an early bearer (Desportes, Elliott), but is ultimately very prolific and productive (Herefordshire Pomona: "very hardy and very prolific"; Downing: "productive"; Bunyard: "fertility good").

Young wood short-jointed, dull grayish brown (Downing). Leaf large, oval, nearly flat, undulating, almost entire (Bunyard).

On stock behavior, sources somewhat disagree: Elliott reports it is "Unsuccessful on Quince." The Herefordshire Pomona is more nuanced — "On the pear stock it grows as freely as the Jargonelle, and makes large extended espaliers. On the Quince stock it will grow well, but makes rather a straggling pyramid."

Fruit

Size

Large to very large. Desportes: "extra, weighing from ten to twelve ounces." Elliott: "large to very large." Herefordshire Pomona: "large." Downing: "large." Thomas: "quite large." Bunyard gives dimensions of 3½ by 4 (inches).

Form

Obovate, obtuse pyriform, tapering markedly toward the stem, irregular and uneven. Desportes: "obovate, slightly pear shaped, terminating obtusely at the stem." Elliott: "obovate, obtuse pyriform." Herefordshire Pomona: "obovate, regular and handsome." Downing: "obovate ovate obtuse pyriform. Surface uneven." Thomas: "obtuse-pyriform, irregular and uneven." Bunyard: "oval pyriform, tapering markedly to stem, uneven." Hedrick: "oval-pyriform, tapering markedly toward stem, uneven." (The Herefordshire Pomona's "regular and handsome" stands in contrast to the more general description of the fruit as irregular/uneven given by Downing, Thomas, Bunyard, and Hedrick.)

Stem / Stalk

Sources vary in description. Herefordshire Pomona: "an inch and a quarter long, curved and inserted without depression." Downing: "rather long, a little inclined, fleshy at its insertion by a ring." Thomas: "stalk large." Bunyard: "long, stout and woody, on level." Hedrick: "rather long, stout, woody, fleshy at insertion."

Cavity

Downing: "small." Herefordshire Pomona: stalk "inserted without depression." Bunyard: stem "on level."

Calyx / Eye

Downing: "Calyx open. Segments short and stiff." Herefordshire Pomona: "Eye: open, set in a slight depression." Thomas: "calyx partly closed in a small basin." Bunyard: "Eye, small, open." Hedrick: "calyx small, open."

Basin

Downing: "small, uneven." Thomas: "small basin." Bunyard: "shallow bossed basin." Hedrick: "small, uneven basin."

Skin

Sources describe somewhat varying colorations:

• Desportes: "green, with occasional traces of russet."
• Elliott: "greenish with traces and faint spots of russet."
• Herefordshire Pomona: "yellow, covered with numerous small russety dots and patches of thin brown russet."
• Downing: "pale greenish yellow, shaded and mottled with crimson in the sun, patches, nettings, and traces of russet, and thickly sprinkled with brown and green dots." (Downing is the only source describing a crimson sun-side cheek.)
• Thomas: "rough, thick, greenish-yellow, with russet dots."
• Bunyard: "Skin, smooth. Colour, clear green changing to lemon yellow, marbled with russet."
• Hedrick: "green becoming lemon-yellow."

Notably Bunyard calls the skin "smooth" while Thomas calls it "rough, thick" — a direct disagreement.

Flesh and Flavor

Whitish to yellowish-white, juicy, half-melting to melting, with a sub-acid to sweet flavor, often with a musky perfume. Sources agree it is variable in quality depending on soil.

• Desportes: "melting, rich sub-acid, good."
• Elliott: "melting, juicy, sub-acid; 'good.'"
• Herefordshire Pomona: "yellowish white, rather coarse, melting, juicy, sugary and brisk, with an agreeable musky perfume."
• Downing: "whitish, coarse, juicy, half melting, sweet. Good to very good."
• Thomas: "coarse, juicy, buttery, musky, of moderate quality."
• Bunyard: "white, half melting, very juicy and sweet, sometimes a little astringent."
• Hedrick: "whitish, coarse, juicy, half-melting, sweet; good to very good."

There is some disagreement on quality and texture. The Herefordshire Pomona notes: "The Triomphe de Jodoigne is a very excellent pear when grown on soil that suits it, but on very heavy or indifferent soils it is apt to be coarse in flavour." Bunyard echoes: "Rather a variable fruit; in some soils it is quite good." Thomas judges it of "moderate quality," while Downing and Hedrick rate it "good to very good."

Core / Seeds

Not described in source.

Season

Sources vary on ripening time, suggesting late-autumn ripening with some keeping ability:

• Desportes: "Ripens in November."
• Elliott: "November."
• Downing: "October."
• Thomas: "Late autumn, keeps into winter."
• Bunyard: "Dessert, December to January."
• Hedrick: "Oct."

Uses

Bunyard classifies it as a dessert pear. Otherwise not specifically described in source.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

The Veitch & Sons (1911) catalog entry is fragmentary, beginning mid-sentence: "large, also white-fleshed with rich cinnamon colour and fine flavour; requires a warm position." The "rich cinnamon colour" likely refers to russet on the skin, and the note that it "requires a warm position" is a cultural recommendation not mentioned by the other sources.

Multiple sources emphasize that the variety is soil-sensitive — excellent on suitable soil but coarse-flavored on heavy or indifferent soils (Herefordshire Pomona, Bunyard).