Can You Grow a Pear Tree in the Desert?

Pears grow on trees suited to home gardens.

The pear tree is a deciduous tree that produces edible fruit. Pears typically grow in cooler climates such as the Pacific Northwest and North Central regions. Some pear varieties are well-suited to growing in desert climates.

Features

Most pear tree cultivars require extended cold temperatures, called chill hours, for pear production. Low-chill cultivars requiring a shorter cold winter season are suited to desert climates. These low-chill pear trees provide fresh fruit in desert gardens. Pears need plentiful sun for full production and benefit from desert sun.

Types

Cultivars suited to desert climates include Flordahome and Hood, both dessert pears producing smooth fruit suited to fresh snacks and salads. Another desert-adaptable cultivar, the Kieffer, is a cooking pear. Its coarse texture holds up to canning, baking and preserves.

Considerations

Desert climates are arid, requiring irrigation for pear and other fruit trees. These climates frequently have hot, windy summers that can sunburn fruit. Pear trees are susceptible to fire blight, a bacterial disease that can destroy limbs and trees. Choose low-chill pear trees that are budded onto drought-tolerant and blight-resistant rootstock.

References

• University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Deciduous Fruit & Nuts for the Low Desert; Lucy Bradley and Michael Maurer, 2001
• AgriLife Extension; Home Fruit Production -- Pears; John A. Lipe, et al.
• University of California: California Climate Zones for Growing Temperate Tree Fruits and Nuts