Pyrus calleryana ‘Aristocrat’ – Aristocrat Flowering Pear Tree
Botanical Name: Pyrus calleryana ‘Aristocrat’
Alternate Name: Aristocrat Ornamental Pear, ‘Aristocrat’ Callery Pear
The Aristocrat Flowering Pear (Pyrus calleryana ‘Aristocrat’) is a graceful tree that provides an eye-catching, flowering display in mid-spring. It is a cultivar of the species Pyrus calleryana (Callery Pear) that is native to Taiwan and China. This flowering pear is a small, thornless, deciduous ornamental tree with a uniform oval, pyramidal crown. It grows to a height of 25-35 feet with a spread of 20-25 feet.
The leaves of the Aristocrat Flowering Pear are glossy and dark green with a narrowly oval shape. They grow up to 3 inches long with undulating margins. In the fall, the foliage turns deep red with shades of purple and burnt orange.
The blooms arrive in mid spring, covering the crown in a profusion of white flowers with purple anthers. Following the blooms are tiny, rounded pear fruits that are hard and inedible. They are attractive to songbirds and other wildlife.
The Aristocrat Flowering Pear tree is adaptable to urban conditions. It is somewhat drought tolerant once established and tolerates pollution well, making this tree suitable for planting as a street tree.
It can be susceptible to fireblight and also to branches breaking in strong winds or ice storms. But it is stronger than other Pyrus calleryana cultivars, such as ‘Bradford’.
