The Doyenné du Comice (or Comice) is a French
pear variety first cultivated in the 19th century.
Cultivar history
The Comice pear originated in France, where it was first grown at the Comice Horticole in
Angers in the 1840s.
["Les Croqueurs de pommes de 'Anjou](_blank)
(in French) A commemorative plaque in the Loire states: "In this garden was raised in 1849-50 the celebrated pear Doyenne du Comice by the gardener Dhomme and by Millet de la Turtaudiere, President of the Comice Horticole."
[ Parsons, Russ]
"A Short History of a Quiet Fruit"
Los Angeles Times It was brought to the United States in 1850 as a seedling.
[European Pear Varieties](_blank)
NSW Agriculture, pp. 12-13 By the 1870s, they had been introduced to Oregon by a French horticulturalist. Brothers Harry and David Rosenberg (the namesakes of the corporation
Harry & David
Harry and David, LLC (Harry and David) is an American-based premium food and gift producer and retailer. The company sells its products through direct mail, online and in retail stores nationwide, and operates the brands Harry & David, Wolferman's ...
) began marketing their Comice pears under the name "Royal Riviera". It remains one of their leading products.
[Filloon, Whitney]
"How Harry & David Cornered the Market on Pricey Mail-Order Pears"
/ref>
Growing characteristics
The Comice tree is vigorous, with small, round oval leaves. It is a late season bloomer, similar to the Bosc or Anjou Anjou may refer to:
Geography and titles France
*County of Anjou, a historical county in France and predecessor of the Duchy of Anjou
**Count of Anjou, title of nobility
*Duchy of Anjou, a historical duchy and later a province of France
**Duke ...
pears. It is likewise a late harvest pear, about 150 days after blooming.["Doyenne Du Comice Pear Tree"](_blank)
/ref>
Fruit characteristics
The Comice pear is large and greenish-yellow, with a red blush and some russeting. Its flesh is pale, melting, and very juicy.Edward Bunyard Edward Ashdown Bunyard (1878–1939) was an English food writer and apple enthusiast known for his books ''The Anatomy Of Dessert'', ''A Handbook of Hardy Fruits'', and ''The Epicure's Companion''. His favourite apple was 'Orléans Reinette' which h ...
in his "Anatomy of Dessert" (1929), in which he described it as having "the perfect combination of flavour, aroma, and texture of which man had long dreamed."[Bunyard, Edward Ashdown]
"The Anatomy of Dessert"
pg. 67 It was awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit
The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions.
History
The Award of Garden Merit ...
in 1993 and reconfirmed in 2013.[Plant details](_blank)
at the Royal Horticultural Society
See also
* Taylor's gold, a mutant variety of the Comice
References
{{Pyrus
Pear cultivars