Zephirin Gregoire

Origin / History

Raised by M. Gregoire of Jodoigne, Belgium, supposedly from seeds of Passe Colmar. Sources disagree on the date of origin: Hedrick gives "about 1831," while Bunyard and Downing state the variety first fruited in 1843. Bunyard notes it was first fruited in 1843; Hedrick cites references in The Horticulturist (1854) and Annales de Pomologie Belge (1855). Elliott (1865) describes the variety as "Foreign." The variety shares with Josephine de Malines the quality of keeping over a long season in the fruit room and is, per Bunyard, "one of the most reliable of its season."

A closely related variety, "Zepherin Louis" (also "Zepherin Louis Gregoire" / "Zephirin Louis Gregoire"), was also raised by M. Gregoire (Hedrick specifies M. Xavier Gregoire) of Jodoigne, Belgium, first reported in 1849 (Hedrick) and first described by M. Gregoire (Downing). Some sources (Elliott, Thomas) appear to conflate or use "Zephirin Louis Gregoire" interchangeably with Zephirin Gregoire.

Tree

Growth habit varies by source: Hedrick describes the tree as pyramidal, vigorous, and very productive, succeeding best upon pear stock. Bunyard describes growth as "very dwarf" with good fertility, and recommends it "should be worked on pear." Downing calls it "a free grower." Elliott describes it as "of moderate growth; productive." The Thomas Rivers catalogue notes it succeeds on pear stock.

Young wood smooth, light olive-yellow-brown (Downing, Hedrick).

Leaf (Bunyard): rather small, round oval, upfolded, undulated, generally entire, turning dark claret red.

Fruit

Size

Medium (Elliott, Downing, Thomas); medium to above (Hedrick); small, 2½ by 2¾ inches (Bunyard); medium (Thomas Rivers catalogue).

Form

Turbinate (Elliott, Thomas); irregular, roundish acute pyriform (Downing); round conical (Bunyard); roundish-obovate (Hedrick); "Bloodgood-shaped" (Thomas).

Skin / Color

Skin smooth (Bunyard). Color described variously:

• Elliott: yellow, with a crimson cheek, and slightly russeted about the stalk.
• Downing: greenish yellow, reddish in the sun, with patches of russet, and many green and gray dots.
• Thomas: light green becoming yellow, reddened next to the sun.
• Bunyard: green fading to pale yellow green with irregular patches of fine cinnamon russet and numerous small dots.
• Hedrick: 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 / Stalk

Sources describe the stalk as short and varying in fleshiness and attachment:

• Elliott: short and thick, inserted in a small cavity.
• Downing: short, fleshy, very fleshy at insertion, and without a cavity.
• Thomas: one inch long, fleshy at base.
• Bunyard: rather short, very stout and woody, on level.
• Hedrick: medium in length, fleshy, very fleshy at insertion, set obliquely without depression.

Cavity

No cavity / set on level / no depression (Downing, Bunyard, Hedrick). Elliott alone reports a small cavity.

Calyx / Eye

• Elliott: eye small.
• Downing: calyx open, segments long.
• Bunyard: eye rather small, open, in a shallow even basin.
• Hedrick: calyx small, open, set in a slight depression; lobes long.

Basin

Shallow (Elliott, Bunyard); narrow (Thomas); slight depression (Hedrick).

Flesh / Flavor

• Elliott: white, melting, very juicy, and delicately perfumed.
• Downing: whitish, melting, juicy, perfumed. Good to very good.
• Thomas: white, buttery, melting, fine-grained, excellent, perfumed.
• Bunyard: pale yellow, very tender; flavor very sweet and highly perfumed.
• Hedrick: yellowish-white, buttery, melting, juicy, rich, sugary, vinous, highly aromatic; good to very good.
• Thomas Rivers catalogue: "very, late and delicious pear."

Core / Seeds

Not described in source.

Season

Sources give overlapping but varying ranges:

• Elliott: December.
• Downing: October, November.
• Thomas: November to February.
• Bunyard: dessert, November to January.
• Hedrick: November to February.
• Thomas Rivers catalogue: January (latest month given).

Uses

Dessert pear (Bunyard). A long-keeping fruit-room pear, shares with Josephine de Malines the quality of keeping over a long season (Bunyard). Late and delicious (Thomas Rivers).

Subtypes / Variants

Bunyard records the German synonym-form "Zephirin Butterbirn."

A related (and possibly confused) variety, Zepherin Louis / Zephirin Louis Gregoire, also raised by M. Gregoire (Xavier Gregoire per Hedrick) at Jodoigne, first reported 1849 (Hedrick). Described as:

• Tree: moderately healthy grower, rather scraggly, moderately productive (Hedrick); moderate healthy grower (Downing).
• Fruit: medium or below, roundish, slightly obovate (Hedrick); medium, roundish obovate (Downing); medium, turbinate (Thomas).
• Skin: dull greenish yellow, clouded with brownish red, and shades of russet (Downing); greenish-yellow, rusty-red becoming bright vermilion in the sun, thickly sprinkled with large dark brown-russet patches and dots (Hedrick); yellow with a red cheek (Thomas).
• Stalk/stem: very short (Downing); very short, inserted in a small round cavity (Hedrick).
• Cavity: narrow, round (Downing); small, round (Hedrick).
• Calyx: small (Downing); small, open, set in a deep basin (Hedrick).
• Flesh: yellowish white, tinge of green, half melting, juicy, sweet, slightly aromatic (Downing); yellowish-white, tinged with green, coarse-grained, crisp, rather half melting, juicy, sweet, slightly aromatic; good (Hedrick); very juicy, slightly perfumed (Thomas).
• Season: January (Downing); December and January (Hedrick); December (Thomas).

Other

Bunyard recommends the variety "should be worked on pear" — i.e., grafted on pear stock rather than quince — a recommendation echoed by Hedrick ("succeeds best upon pear stock") and the Thomas Rivers catalogue ("of the pear stock").