Nashi Shinseiki - Apple-Pear

The Nashi 'Shinseiki' (Pyrus pyrifolia) or Asian Pear is a vigorous and productive variety, producing round fruits with thick, smooth skin that is yellow-green in colour. The white flesh is crisp and juicy. These fruits are sometimes called "apple-pear" as they resemble apples while having the texture of pears. Nashi is a hardy bush, both fruit-bearing and ornamental, requiring winter cold to bear fruit. This variety is self-fertile. Planting is preferably done in autumn or spring for harvesting from mid-August.

Although Nashi is not a cross between an apple tree and a pear tree, its fruits are sometimes called "apple-pear" as they resemble apples while having the texture of pears. The 'Shinseiki' variety produces round fruits with thick, smooth skin that is yellow-green in colour. The white flesh is crisp and juicy. Once peeled, nashis can be consumed like apples and pears, mostly in sweet dishes (pies, compotes, crumbles, fruit salads...) or sometimes as an accompaniment to meats or cheeses. They keep well in the refrigerator, about 2 to 3 months.

The 'Shinseiki' variety is a Japanese variety, vigorous and productive. It is self-fertile, and its production can be improved if there is a 'William' pear nearby. It is also a good pollinator. The flowering starts at the end of March, with white-pink flowers with 5 petals. It is followed by fruit formation, with harvesting taking place, for the Shinseiki variety, from mid-August onwards. Harvest the fruits when they are ripe as they do not ripen further after harvesting.

Nashi (Pyrus pyrifolia) is a bush of the Rosaceae family and the genus Pyrus, like the Pear tree. Cultivated for a long time in Asia, it has recently appeared in Europe. The term Nashi refers to both the bush and the fruit. Nashi is a hardy bush, able to withstand temperatures as low as -18°C (-0.4°F), with a slightly weeping habit. It will reach a height of 4 to 5 m (13 to 16ft) at maturity, with a width of 2 to 3 m (7 to 10ft). Its deciduous leaves are elongated, slightly larger than those of the Pear tree (10 cm (4in) long). Thanks to its beautiful spring flowering and autumn colours, the Asian Pear tree is also an ornamental tree. In the garden, it can be planted in the orchard, at the back of a border, or as a standalone specimen.