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The Doyenné du Comice (or Comice) is a French
pear Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in late summer into mid-autumn. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the Family (biology), family Rosaceae, bearing the Pome, po ...
variety first cultivated in the 19th century.


Cultivar history

The Doyenné du Comice pear originated in France, where it was first grown at the Comice Horticole in
Angers Angers (, , ;) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Duchy of Anjou, Anjou until the French Revolution. The i ...
in the 1840s."Les Croqueurs de pommes de 'Anjou
(in French) The varietal was a chance discovery, and a commemorative plaque in the Loire states: "In this garden was raised in 1849-50 the celebrated pear Doyenné 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 The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
 It was brought to the United States in 1850 as a seedling and may be sold there as ''Royal Riviera''.European Pear Varieties
NSW Agriculture, pp. 12-13Filloon, Whitney
"How Harry & David Cornered the Market on Pricey Mail-Order Pears"
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Growing characteristics

The Comice tree is vigorous, with small, round oval leaves. It is a late season bloomer, similar to the Bosc or Anjou pears. It is likewise a late harvest pear, about 150 days after blooming. It is self-sterile and placed in the
Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...
's pollination group 4."Doyenne Du Comice Pear Tree"
/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. Because the skin is very delicate and easily bruised, it requires special handling and is not well suited to mechanical packing. The Comice pear has received great acclaim. The London Horticultural Journal in 1894 called it the best pear in the world. It was praised by Edward Bunyard 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 award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. It includes the full range of cultivated p ...
in 1993 and reconfirmed in 2013.Plant details
at the Royal Horticultural Society


See also

* Taylor's gold, a mutant variety of the Comice


References

{{Pyrus Pear cultivars