A very beautiful heirloom apple that stores well.
Harrow Delight Pear on Quince Provence (Spring 2025)
A high-quality, cold-hardy modern pear that is fireblight resistant. Also known as HW603.
This pear is bred for fireblight resistance. It also has great scab resistance, but it is susceptible to pear psylla and moderately susceptible to pseudomonas. Extremely cold hardy, Harrow Delight will do well as low as zone 4. The tree is consistently productive, and fruit will need to be thinned for optimal size. Harrow Delight has demonstrated pollen compatibility with Bosc, Bartlett, Anjou, and Harvest Queen.
Harvested about two weeks before Bartlett, this pear is greenish-yellow with a red blush. Fruit should be picked while still green, as it has a strong tendency to drop as it ripens. Shelf life is also greatly reduced if the fruit is allowed to mature on the tree. These pears have excellent flavor. From Daniel Koeneman in Texas: "The pears are small but with an intense, complex flavor and smooth texture."
Harrow Delight was developed by the disease-resistant breeding program that was begun by Dr. R.E.C. Layne in 1962 at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Centre at Ontario Canada. This work was continued by Dr. H.A. Quamme, and then Dr. F. Kappel. Other cultivars produced by the program include AC™ Harrow Crisp, AC™ Harrow Gold, and Harvest Queen.
The Fruit
Fruit Type
Category: Pear
Subcategory:
European, Cold-Hardy
Fruit Uses & Storage
Uses: fresh eating, baking, canning
Storage duration: one to three months (approximate, depending on storage conditions)
Fruit Appearance
Skin color: yellow
Flesh color: cream
Fruit Origins
Parentage: Bartlett x Purdue 80-51 (Early Sweet x Old Home)
Origin: Harrow, Ontario, Canada
Introduced in: 1982
Introduced by: H. A. Quamme
The Environment
Calendar & Geography
USDA zones: 3 - 8
Chill hours: 800
Ripening date: Aug 06 (approximate, in New York State) 14 days before Bartlett
Tree Height & Spacing
glossary
Rootstock: Quince Provence Rootstock
Rootstock size class: Half-Standard (55% of Standard)
Tree spacing: See details
Good for wildlife planting? N
Diseases & Pests
glossary
Pear Scab: Resistant
Fireblight: Very Resistant
Pollination
Pollination Factors
glossary
Bloom group: 3
Is it self-fertile? N
Is it fertile? Y
Ploidy: Diploid
Rootstock size class:
Half-Standard (55% of Standard)
Pollination Partners
This table shows the first few results from a full search for pollenizers of Harrow Delight Pear on Quince Provence. Please see our Pollenizer Search to run other queries and read how the application uses various factors. Also read more about fruit tree pollination.
See all pollination matches for Harrow Delight Pear on Quince Provence
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