Gorham
Gorham is a high quality American pear, but with an all European-ancestry. Its juicy melting flesh is very typical of the best European pears of the 19th century, and it is related to both the English Williams pear and Belgian Josephine de Malines.
Gorham can perhaps best be considered an improved Williams pear. From Josephine de Malines it gets better keeping qualities and an improved flavour (even though Williams is already well-regarded for flavour).
Like Williams, Gorham is versatile - as well as being a superb dessert pear, it is also useful for cooking and bottling.
Pyrus communis
Gorham pear trees for sale
11-year maiden bare-root
tree
24.45€
Quince A rootstock
Large size (3m-4m after 10 years)
21-year maiden bare-root
tree
24.45€
Pyrodwarf rootstock
Large size (3m-4m after 10 years)
Next deliveries
Deliveries resume December 2020
How to grow
Gorham is a high quality American pear, but with an all European-ancestry. Its juicy melting flesh is very typical of the best European pears of the 19th century, and it is related to both the English Williams pear and Belgian Josephine de Malines.
Gorham can perhaps best be considered an improved Williams pear. From Josephine de Malines it gets better keeping qualities and an improved flavour (even though Williams is already well-regarded for flavour).
Like Williams, Gorham is versatile - as well as being a superb dessert pear, it is also useful for cooking and bottling.
History
Being an American pear with a European pedigree, it is perhaps no surprise that Gorham does best in dry sunny climates. It should perform well in the south-east of the UK, but elsewhere be sure to choose a sunny spot, preferably in front of a south-facing wall.
Gorham also has a very good level of disease-resistance, and its excellent pedigree ensures it is a good and reliable cropper.
The fruit size is relatively large by pear standards - provided you thin the fruitlets in late spring.
Gorham characteristics
- Picking seasonMid
- CroppingGood
- Keeping1-2 months
- Fruit persistenceNormal ripening
- Useful forEating freshCulinary
- Gardening skillAverage
- Self-fertilitySelf-fertile
- Flowering group4
- Pollinating othersAverage
- PloidyDiploid
- VigourSlightly large
- Bearing regularityRegular
- Fruit bearingSpur-bearer
- Disease resistanceGood
- FireblightSome susceptibility
- MildewSome resistance
- ScabVery resistant
- Climate typeTemperate climatesWarm climates
- Summer average maximum temperaturesWarm (25-30C / 76-85F)
- Country of originUnited States
- Period of origin1900 - 1949
- Flower colourWhite
- Fruit colourGreen / Yellow
- Fruit sizeLarge
- AwardsRHS Award of Garden Merit
