There are more than 3,000 pear varieties grown worldwide. Of those, only ten principal varieties are grown commercially in the Pacific Northwest, accounting for 80% of the US fresh pear production (NASS 2019 NCTF Report). These varieties were selected based on quality traits and compatibility with our growing conditions. Pears fall into two categories based on when harvest begins: summer pears start harvest in August; winter pears start harvest late August and go well into September. Summer pears include Bartlett varieties (both golden and crimson), Starkrimson and Tosca. The rest of the European-type pears fall into the winter pear group. The top pear varieties grown in Washington and Oregon are listed in the thumbnail gallery below arranged by their harvest group: Summer or Winter. There are also several Asian pear varieties grown in our region. We have included Asian varieties in a separate tab. Clicking on a thumbnail image will open a window with a full-size image with a brief description of the variety. (The list of varieties, descriptions, and images were provided mostly from usapears.com.)
