Kikusui Asian Pear

Kikusui Asian Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia 'Kikusui')

Kikusui Asian Pear is a Japanese dessert pear prized for crisp, juicy texture and sweet, aromatic flavor in smooth, green to yellow fruit; a productive tree with glossy foliage and a rounded crown that excels in sunny home orchards and espaliers.

Distinctive Features

Uniform, round fruit with tender, edible skin and fine, crunchy flesh deliver refreshing sweetness; reliable bloom and strong set under good pollination produce generous early to midseason harvests.

Growing Conditions

• Sun Exposure: Full sun (6+ hours) for best bloom, fruit size, and sugar.
• Soil: Deep, well-drained loam enriched with organic matter; avoid soggy or compacted sites.
• Water: Keep evenly moist from bloom through fruit swell; reduce slightly after harvest.
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9.
• Mature Size: About 12 to 18 ft tall and wide on semi-dwarf; 8 to 12 ft on dwarf rootstocks.
• Bloom Time: Spring; fruit typically ripens early to midseason depending on climate.
• Soil pH: Slightly acidic to neutral, about 6.0 to 7.0.

Ideal Uses

• Focal Point: White spring bloom and handsome fruit create a seasonal centerpiece.
• Home Orchard: Pair with compatible Asian pears for cross-pollination and staggered harvests.
• Espalier Training: Spur-bearing habit suits cordons and fans on fences and walls.
• Edible Landscape: Integrates with herbs, pollinator strips, and low shrubs.

Low Maintenance Care

• Watering: Deeply soak when the top 1 to 2 in are dry; increase frequency during heat and fruit swell.
• Pruning: Winter prune to open the canopy and renew fruiting spurs; summer pinch vigorous shoots to improve light and airflow.
• Fertilizing: Apply a balanced, low to moderate nitrogen fruit tree fertilizer in early spring based on soil test.
• Mulching: 2 to 3 in organic mulch over the root zone, kept off the trunk, to conserve moisture and suppress weeds.
• Notes: Requires a compatible Asian pear pollinizer (for example, Shinseiki or Chojuro) for best crops; thin fruit clusters to increase size and reduce limb stress; monitor for fire blight and pear psylla and maintain sanitation.

Why Choose Kikusui Asian Pear?

• Crisp, Juicy Texture: Fine-grained flesh with refreshing sweetness.
• High Productivity: Dependable yields with proper pollination and thinning.
• Versatile Training: Performs as open tree or formal espalier.
• Home Garden Fit: Manageable size on dwarf or semi-dwarf rootstocks.

Plant in full sun with deep, well-drained soil, provide a compatible pollinizer, and thin fruit for premium, sweet-crisp pears.