Bartlett Pear Tree

Bartlett Pear Tree produces the classic pear that generations of gardeners have relied on for fragrance, tenderness, and remarkable kitchen versatility. Its bell-shaped fruit is harvested green and ripens off the tree to glowing yellow, developing creamy, buttery flesh and a rich floral sweetness. A ripe Bartlett perfumes the room before it reaches the plate and is equally at home eaten over the sink, sliced into salads, baked into desserts, or preserved in jars.

The vigorous tree covers itself with white spring blossoms before building a dependable summer crop. Because the fruit can be picked mature but firm and ripened indoors, gardeners gain useful flexibility in harvest and storage. For anyone planting a first European pear—or adding a hardworking pollination partner to an established orchard—Bartlett offers familiar beauty, excellent flavor, and one of the broadest ranges of uses.

Bartlett grows semi-dwarf on OHxF333 rootstock and is suited to USDA zones 5–9, with a confirmed 500–600 chill-hour requirement. In suitable climates, harvest is typically early to mid-August. Plant in full sun and well-drained soil, thin crowded clusters, and pick fruit while firm so it can finish ripening smoothly indoors.

Bartlett is self-fruitful in many western climates, but another compatible European pear can improve fruit set. Confirmed partners include Bosc and D’Anjou.

Bartlett Pear Tree Details

• Fruit: Classic bell-shaped pears ripening from green to golden yellow
• Flavor and texture: Sweet, aromatic, juicy, creamy, and buttery
• Best uses: Fresh eating, canning, baking, salads, and desserts
• Harvest: Early to mid-August, with timing varying by region and season
• USDA zones: 5–9
• Chill hours: 500–600
• Tree size: Semi-dwarf on OHxF333 rootstock
• Pollination: Self-fruitful in many western climates; another compatible pear may improve set
• Recommended companions: Bosc or D’Anjou
• Special care: Pick mature fruit while firm and ripen it at room temperature
• Something Special: The pear was called Williams in England, but Massachusetts nurseryman Enoch Bartlett unknowingly renamed it after himself in the United States.

Orchard Planning Resources

• Bare Root Tree Selection Guide
• How to Plant Bare Root Trees
• Fruit and Nut Tree Characteristics
• Tree Rootstock Characteristics Chart