Niitaka Asian Pear Tree
Introduced: 1927, Japan
Sweet like bourbon, caramel, or vanilla and incredibly juicy, Niitaka is known as the "King of Pears" in Japan, where it is prized for its size and flavor. With an orange-brown russet that is speckled with prominent lenticels, the flesh is firm, crisp and juicy. The tree is precocious and resistant to a range of diseases. Like most Asian pears, it needs thinning to maintain annual cropping, avoid limb breakage, and to obtain optimal fruit size. This is especially true of Niitaka due to its high productivity and large fruit size. These pears will store for up to eight months.
Blooms Mid-Season
Ripens Mid-Late October
Best Uses – Fresh Eating, Preserves, Keeping
Dwarf root stock: Betulaefolia
1/2” Caliper +/-
4 foot tall +/-
Final height of 12 feet +/-
Will mature in 6-7 years
Pear Tree Notes:
Plant where trees will get sun for most of the day in a well drained soil. Dig a hole large enough to accommodate the roots, don’t add fertilizers or compost when filling the hole, save those for a top-dressing once the tree leafs out. Always protect your new trees with a “mouse guard” either a wrap from a garden center or a tube made from hardware cloth. Fruit thinning will help maintain annual bearing and fruit size, and it will prevent limb breakage from overcropping. Niitaka is not self-fertile, and it will need a pollination partner.