Southern King Pear is a low-chill Southern hybrid pear known for its attractive fruit, good flavor, and ability to perform in warm Gulf Coast growing conditions. It produces medium-sized, traditionally pear-shaped fruit with yellow skin and a light reddish blush on the side exposed to the sun. The fruit is juicy and pleasantly sweet, making Southern King a good choice for fresh eating. Its firm pear quality also works well for canning, preserves, baking, poaching, pear butter, pear honey, and other homemade recipes. Southern King is classified as a hybrid pear with both European and Asian pear ancestry. This combination gives it the familiar shape and eating quality of a traditional pear while providing better adaptation to Southern heat and disease pressure than many high-chill European varieties. The tree is often a heavy producer once established and is commonly described as having resistance to fire blight. It is a promising choice for home orchards, homesteads, farms, and edible landscapes in North Florida, the Florida Panhandle, South Alabama, and similar Gulf Coast areas. Plant Details • Botanical name: Pyrus hybrid ‘Southern King’• Pear type: Southern hybrid pear• Ancestry: European and Asian pear hybrid• Plant type: Deciduous fruit tree• Mature height: Approximately 12–15 feet with regular pruning• Mature width: Approximately 12–15 feet• Growth habit: Productive, moderately vigorous fruit tree• Sun requirements: Full sun, preferably six or more hours daily• USDA zones: Commonly listed for approximately Zones 8–10• Chill requirement: Approximately 350–400 chill hours• Bloom season: Spring• Harvest season: Generally late summer; exact timing may vary by location and weather• Fruit size: Medium• Fruit shape: Traditional pear shape• Fruit color: Yellow with a light red blush on the sun-exposed side• Fruit texture: Juicy with a traditional pear texture• Flavor: Sweet, pleasant, and suitable for fresh eating• Best uses: Fresh eating, canning, preserves, baking, poaching, pear butter, and pear honey• Pollination: Self-fruitful; another compatible pear is not required• Disease resistance: Shows resistance to fire blight but is not immune Pollination Information Southern King Pear is generally considered self-fruitful and can produce fruit without another pear tree nearby. Planting a second compatible pear with a similar bloom period may improve pollination and increase fruit production, but another variety is not required. Because Southern King’s exact flowering period has not been well documented for North Florida, I would not promise that every pear variety will be a dependable pollination partner. Local bloom times can shift from year to year depending on winter chill and spring temperatures. Bees and other pollinating insects are still needed to carry pollen between flowers, even when a self-fruitful pear tree is planted alone. North Florida Growing Note Southern King’s approximately 350–400-hour chill requirement should make it a reasonable candidate for cooler parts of North Florida and the Florida Panhandle. However, it is not included in UF/IFAS’s current table of pear cultivars evaluated for Florida. For that reason, Southern King is best presented as a promising low-chill Southern pear rather than one of Florida’s most thoroughly documented varieties. Its performance may vary after unusually warm winters. Plant Southern King Pear in full sun with fertile, well-drained soil and enough room for good air circulation. Avoid locations that remain wet after heavy rain. Southern King is reported to have resistance to fire blight, but resistant does not mean immune. Avoid excessive nitrogen fertilizer and severe pruning because both can encourage tender, fast-growing shoots that are more vulnerable to fire blight. Harvest the pears when they have reached full size and the skin is beginning to turn yellow. Depending on the desired texture, the fruit may be eaten while still somewhat firm or allowed to soften further after picking. 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.
