Wallis Kieffer

Origin and History

Discovered by Henry Wallis of St. Louis County, Missouri, and introduced by Stark Brothers Nurseries and Orchards Company. First documented in Stark Bros. Year Book (1914) and later recorded by U.P. Hedrick in The Pears of New York (1921).

Tree Characteristics

The tree is reported as strong-growing and noted for blight resistance—a valuable trait for orchard cultivation. It is a heavy bearer with consistent productivity.

Fruit

Quality and Season: The fruit is of notably better quality than its close relative, the Kieffer pear, and ripens approximately two weeks earlier in the season.

Detailed Description: [NOTE: The historical source does not provide specific morphological details such as fruit size, weight, shape, skin color, surface texture, flesh characteristics, flavor profile, cavity/calyx/basin structure, or core anatomy. Wallis Kieffer appears in the historical record only as a development from Kieffer with superior eating quality and earlier ripening. To fully identify a Wallis Kieffer pear in the field, comparison with true Kieffer specimens and observation of the two-week earlier harvest window would be the primary distinguishing markers available from this source.]

Source: U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921), citing Stark Bros. Year Book 5:40 (1914).