North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Elizabeth Hilborn <ehilborn@mebtel.net>]

Hi folks,

My Kieffer pear has not borne fruit for years due to a lack of 
pollinators. But this year, Carpenter bees and some miner bees helped us 
out. Our Kieffer tree bore a bumper crop in 2020.

But this is my question: Now that I seek to buy a second Kieffer, the 
variety descriptions all state that they ripen in October, some say into 
November.

In my orchard in 2020, the pears ripened in August-early September right 
after Harrow Delight and before Potomac.

What gives? I bought this tree from Stark Brothers about 17 years ago. I 
had not noticed this discrepancy before.  Are there different varieties 
of 'sand pears' called 'Kieffer' circulating out there?


Thanks for any insight on this.

Elizabeth Hilborn

Zone 7a, central NC