Flordahome Pear is a productive, low-chill Southern pear developed for warm climates. It produces good-quality, green to yellow-green pears with firm, juicy flesh and a pleasant, mild sweetness. The fruit is suitable for fresh eating, canning, preserves, baking, poaching, and other homemade recipes. For the best texture, Flordahome pears should be picked while mature but still firm and allowed to finish ripening indoors. Flordahome is an excellent choice for North Florida and the Florida Panhandle. It requires very few winter chill hours and offers good resistance to two common Southern pear problems: fire blight and pear leaf spot. Plant Details • Botanical name: Pyrus hybrid ‘Flordahome’• Pear type: Southern hybrid pear• Plant type: Deciduous fruit tree• Mature height: Approximately 15–20 feet with regular pruning• Mature width: Approximately 12–15 feet• Growth habit: Vigorous and upright• Sun requirements: Full sun, preferably six or more hours daily• Recommended growing area: North and Central Florida• USDA zones: Generally Zones 8–9• Chill requirement: Approximately 150 chill hours• Bloom season: Early spring• Harvest season: Usually July through August in North Florida• Fruit color: Green to yellow-green• Fruit texture: Firm and juicy when properly harvested and is considered a soft pear because of its smooth buttery texture• Flavor: Mild and pleasantly sweet• Best uses: Fresh eating, canning, preserves, baking, poaching, and cooking• Pollination: Partially self-fruitful; another early-blooming pear is recommended• Disease resistance: Resistant to fire blight and pear leaf spot Pollination Information Flordahome Pear may produce some fruit when planted alone, but another compatible pear is recommended for better pollination and a larger, more dependable crop. Best Pollinator Partners • Hood Pear — the strongest early-blooming partner• Baldwin Pear — a compatible pollination-group match• Spalding Pear — another compatible partner where available Hood is generally the best pollinator to recommend with Flordahome because both bloom early and are well adapted to warm Southern climates. Pineapple Pear also blooms early and may provide some overlap, but Hood is the more clearly documented pollination partner. Kieffer and LeConte usually bloom later and should not be listed as Flordahome’s primary pollinators. Bloom periods may vary from year to year depending on winter temperatures. Bees and other pollinating insects are still needed to carry pollen between the flowers. North Florida Growing Note Flordahome blooms early in the spring. Avoid planting it in low areas where cold air settles because open blossoms can be damaged by a late freeze. Plant Flordahome Pear in full sun and well-drained soil. Allow enough space around the tree for sunlight and good air circulation. Pear trees naturally produce upright branches with narrow angles. Light training while the tree is young can help create a wider, stronger structure that is easier to manage and harvest. Avoid excessive nitrogen fertilizer and severe pruning. Both can encourage tender, fast-growing shoots that are more vulnerable to fire blight, even on resistant varieties. Harvest the pears when they are full-sized, firm, and beginning to change from green to yellow-green. Allow them to finish ripening indoors at room temperature. Leaving pears on the tree until they become soft may cause poor texture or internal breakdown. Local Pickup & Limited Shipping Local pickup is available for most plants and trees at our nursery in DeFuniak Springs, Florida. Limited shipping may be available for select trees, liners, and smaller plants in 3-gallon containers or smaller. Shipping availability depends on the plant variety, size, quantity, destination, and packaging requirements. Shipping charges are calculated separately. Please contact us before ordering if shipping is needed to confirm that the plant can be shipped and to receive the current shipping cost. Advanced Nursery Growers LLC1911 McLeod RoadDeFuniak Springs, FL 32435Phone: 850-391-2228Email: [email protected]: www.AdvancedNurseryGrowers.com Wholesale pricing is available for qualified nurseries. Please contact Advanced Nursery Growers for current availability and wholesale pricing.
