Orcas Pear is a Bartlett-style pear that was discovered as a seedling on Orcas Island in the San Juans. It became commercially available in 1986 and is prized for its productivity, large fruit, and resistance to pear scab. The fruit is smooth skinned with a yellow to sunset blush over pale green and can size to close to a pound by the time it is ready to harvest in mid-September! Its mildly sweet flavor and buttery texture make it excellent for canning, drying, and fresh eating right off the tree.
At Cloud Mountain, we have four Orcas trees planted between the late 90’s and early 2000’s by our founder, Tom Thorton. Those four trees yield collectively around 200 pounds of fruit each year. They are planted on Pyrodwarf and Quince rootstocks and are trained in a modified central leader style.
If you want to grow your own Orcas pears and enjoy the bounty provided by this regionally adapted tree, stop by our nursery in Everson! Our annual “buy two get the third free” fruit tree sale begins on September 12th. Fall is a great time to plant trees so they can take advantage of the mild temps and ample rains while establishing. And try selections of our seasonal fruit at our upcoming tasting event on Sept. 19.
