Zephirin Gregoire
PearZephirin Gregoire
Origin/History
Raised by M. Gregoire, pomologist, of Jodoigne, Belgium. Downing gives the date of raising as 1843; Hedrick places it about 1831, stating the variety was raised from seeds of Passe Colmar. References include Horticulturist 9:78, fig. (1854), Ann. Pom. Beige 3:79, fig. (1855), and Bunyard, Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920).
Tree
Downing describes the tree as a free grower. Hedrick describes it as pyramidal, vigorous, and very productive, and notes it succeeds best upon pear stock. All sources agree: young wood smooth, light olive-yellow-brown.
Fruit
Size and Form: Medium in size (Hedrick adds "to above"). Form is variously described across sources: Downing gives roundish acute pyriform; Hedrick gives roundish-obovate; Thomas gives turbinate, Bloodgood-shaped. Downing additionally notes the fruit is irregular.
Stem: Fleshy, very fleshy at insertion. Downing describes the stem as short; Hedrick as medium in length; Thomas as one inch long. Hedrick notes it is set obliquely. All sources agree there is no cavity or depression at insertion — Hedrick specifies "set obliquely without depression."
Cavity: Not described in source. (Downing and Hedrick explicitly note the absence of a depression at the stem.)
Calyx: Open (Downing, Hedrick). Downing describes the segments as long; Hedrick similarly gives the lobes as long and the calyx as small, set in a slight depression.
Basin: Thomas describes it as narrow. Hedrick notes the calyx is set in a slight depression.
Skin: Pale greenish-yellow (Hedrick) or light green (Thomas), becoming a uniform pale waxen-yellow at maturity (Hedrick) or simply yellow (Thomas). Downing gives the ground color as greenish yellow. The surface is covered with patches of russet and many green and gray dots (Downing, Hedrick). Often reddish or reddened in the sun (all three sources).
Flesh and Flavor: Flesh whitish (Downing) or yellowish-white (Hedrick) or white (Thomas). Buttery (Hedrick, Thomas), melting (all sources), juicy (Downing, Hedrick). Hedrick further describes it as rich, sugary, and vinous. Highly aromatic (Hedrick); perfumed (Downing, Thomas). Thomas additionally notes fine-grained texture.
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Downing gives October–November. Hedrick and Thomas agree on November to February, indicating a longer keeping season than Downing records.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Quality rated good to very good by Downing and Hedrick; Thomas rates it excellent.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 5 catalogs (1900–1917) from England
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
- Thomas Rivers & Son , Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire , England — 1913
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1914
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1917
View original book sources (3)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Zephirin Gregoire.
Raised by M. Gregoire, of Jodoigne, in 1843. Tree a free grower. Young wood smooth, light olive yellow brown.
Fruit medium, irregular, roundish acute pyriform. Skin greenish yellow, reddish in the sun, with patches of russet, and many green and gray dots. Stalk short, fleshy, very fleshy at insertion, and without a cavity. Calyx open. Segments long. Flesh whitish, melting, juicy, perfumed. Good to very good. October, November.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Zephirin Gregoire. 1. Horticulturist 9:78, fig. 1854. 2. Ann. Pom. Beige 3:79, fig. 1855. 3. Bunyard Handb. Hardy Fr. 205. 1920. M. Gregoire, pomologist, Jodoigne, Bel., raised this variety supposedly from seeds of Passe Colmar about 1831. Tree pyramidal, vigorous, very productive, succeeds best upon pear stock; young wood smooth, light olive-yellow-brown. Fruit medium to above, roundish-obovate, pale greenish-yellow, becoming uniform pale waxen-yellow, covered with patches of russet and many green and gray dots, often reddish in the sun; stem medium in length, fleshy, very fleshy at insertion, set obliquely without depression; calyx small, open, set in a slight depression; lobes long; flesh yellowish-white, buttery, melting, juicy, rich, sugary, vinous, highly aromatic; good to very good; Nov. to Feb.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Zephirin Gregoire. Medium, turbinate, Bloodgood-shaped; light green becoming yellow, reddened next to the sun; stalk one inch long, fleshy at base; basin narrow; flesh white, buttery, melting, fine-grained, excellent, perfumed. November to February.