Pear

Wild flame

The common pear is the basis for all cultivated pears that we find in the supermarket today. The wild variety does not look very attractive. The tree bears lots of small fruits that are very bitter and moreover rather mealy. There are also sharp thorns along its gnarled branches. The roots produce suckers that quickly grow to form an impenetrable thicket around the pear tree.

Although this tree, with its white flowers, is native to Western Europe, the original common pear is no longer found in the Netherlands. The name pear is derived from the Greek word puur, meaning flame, and reflects the shape of the pear, which is considered flame-shaped.