Nashi pears in the garden: growing the Asian pear
The nashi pear comes from East Asia. Its round fruit resembles an apple but is juicy and crisp at the same time. The tree is hardy and copes with many locations in Central Europe.
Planting
- Location: Sunny and warm, ideally protected from late frosts that can hit the early blossom
- Pollination: Most varieties need a pollinator nearby – a second nashi or a suitable European pear; ask when buying
- Growth: On a dwarfing rootstock the tree stays compact and fits into smaller gardens
Care and pruning
- Water in dry summers so the fruit becomes juicy
- Thinning: If a lot of fruit sets, remove some early – the rest will grow larger
- Prune much like pears: an open crown, remove inward-growing shoots
Harvest
Unlike many European pears, which are picked hard and left to ripen, nashis are usually picked ripe from the tree: when the skin shows its typical colour and the fruit comes away easily.
Storing
Like other pears, first let them ripen at room temperature, then store them in the fridge (BZfE (German Federal Centre for Nutrition), "Richtig lagern" (as of 20 Feb 2025)). Nashis are delicious fresh, in fruit salad or with cheese.
Sources
- German Federal Centre for Nutrition (BZfE): Richtig lagern, as of 20 Feb 2025, accessed 5 Oct 2026
The sources support individual statements in this article. The organisations named have neither reviewed nor endorsed it.