Bartlett Pear Tree | Bare Root, Zone 3b

Bartlett Pear (Spring 2027)

$64.99

Reliable shipping

Flexible returns

Pollination Partly self-fertile

Bloom group 4 of 7 (Mid)

See trees that will pollenize it Pear Pollination Map

Ripening

Will it finish before your first hard freeze?

Check it on the Ripening Map (opens in a new tab)

Disease resistanceNo strong resistance

Fire blight : Highly susceptible, 1 of 5
Pear scab : Susceptible, 2 of 5

Scored 1 to 5. Higher resists better, and ? means no published data yet.

See it on our pear disease chart (opens in a new tab)

At a glance: Bartlett Pear is a pear tree rated hardy to zone 3b in our ratings (winters to -35°F), partially self-fertile, so a second variety nearby makes crops more dependable (bloom group 4 of 7, mid for a European pear), and it ripens about Sep 7 to Sep 21 in Missoula (our Missoula estimate).

Hardy to	Zone 3b to 9. The b means the warmer half of zone 3 only (winters to -35°F). Our notes have it taking -41°F. Find your zone with our cold hardiness calculator.
Chill hours	About 800 hours (500 to 1,500). Published figures disagree, so treat this as a middle estimate. Montana winters give it plenty. In milder climates, make sure your winters average at least this much. Check your chill hours or see our sources.
Pollination	Partially Self-Fertile. Bloom group 4 of 7 (mid), mid spring here. Bartlett sets some fruit alone but crops best with a partner like D'Anjou, Bosc or Flemish Beauty. Do not rely on it with Seckel, Red Sensation Bartlett (the same tree genetically) or Cold Snap. Nearby varieties that can boost the crop: Flemish Beauty Pear, Harrow Sweet Pear, Karl's Favorite Pear, D'Anjou Pear and 26 more. Pear Pollination Map.
Ripens	About Sep 7 to Sep 21 in Missoula (a Missoula estimate from published sources). Real years swing about a week either way. See the date for your town.
Rootstock and size	OHxF 87: semi-dwarf, about 14 to 19 ft tall unpruned. The most precocious OHxF stock. Our rootstock guide.
Good for	Canning and freezing (10/10), brandy and liqueurs (10/10), fresh eating (9/10), drying (9/10), sauce and butter (8/10), jams and jellies (7/10). Scores are our own 1 to 10 ratings; 8 and up makes our Best Of lists.
Deer	Sometimes damaged by deer.
What you get	Bare root, 5-7 ft. Regular Grade or 5-7 ft. Shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out.

The most widely grown pear in the world, Bartlett doesn’t need much of an introduction. Its taste has stood the test of time—and its trees have too, at least sometimes. One Bartlett reportedly withstood -41°F in Minnesota, although we think that may have been an anomaly (maybe due to this tree's deep soils and perhaps good airflow). We’ve also seen Bartlett perish in its second year after hitting -38°F in Fortine, MT on 1/13/24.

Flavor, History & Growth Habit

First grown in 1797, Bartlett’s sweet and juicy flavor has made it a favorite for centuries—especially when left to ripen on the tree, which most commercial Bartletts never get the chance to do. It’s also notoriously fast-growing, which means you won’t be waiting as long for your first harvest compared to other pear varieties.

Pollination & Site Considerations

If you’re cramped on space, Bartlett is partially self-fertile and can be planted on its own—though, as with most fruit trees, you’ll get more fruit with a partner.

Cold hardy to -35°F, Bartlett should do well in most of the warmer valleys in Western Montana (Missoula, Bitterroot, Flathead, Mission), but it’s probably not hardy enough for Eastern MT.

Tree Details

These trees are grafted onto OHxF87 and are available in several sizes.

Photos: “Bartlett pear” by Rhododendrites, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; “Williamsbirne durch die Mitte aufgeschnitten” by Staycoolandbegood, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain; “Pear Blossom Williams Christ” by El tommo, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC0; “Klostergarten Seligenstadt Williams Christ Pear Tree” by Alexander Klink, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY 4.0; “Organic Bartlett Pears” by Joe Mabel, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0.

Questions we get about Bartlett Pear

Does Bartlett Pear need a pollenizer?

It helps. Bartlett Pear is partially self-fertile, so it can set some fruit alone, but a second variety nearby makes crops more dependable. Bartlett sets some fruit alone but crops best with a partner like D'Anjou, Bosc or Flemish Beauty. Do not rely on it with Seckel, Red Sensation Bartlett (the same tree genetically) or Cold Snap. Partners we carry include Flemish Beauty Pear, Harrow Sweet Pear, Karl's Favorite Pear.

How cold hardy is Bartlett Pear?

We rate Bartlett Pear hardy to zone 3b, which means winters down to about -35°F. Our notes have it taking -41°F. Our ratings come from real winters at our two Montana sites and from trusted growers across the North, not from a catalog average.

How many chill hours does Bartlett Pear need?

About 800 hours of winter chill (we count hours at or below 45°F), likely somewhere between 500 and 1,500. Published figures for it disagree, so treat that as a middle estimate. Most sources say about 800 hours, but they range from 500 to 1,500. In mild-winter areas bloom can get sparse and drawn out. Our chill hours guide has a calculator for your winters, and our research page lists the sources.

When does Bartlett Pear ripen?

About Sep 7 to Sep 21 in Missoula, Montana (an estimate built from published sources and our climate). Warmer places run earlier and cooler places later; our ripening map converts the date to your town.

How big does Bartlett Pear get?

We graft Bartlett Pear onto OHxF 87 (semi-dwarf), which makes a tree roughly 14 to 19 ft tall if you never prune it.

What is Bartlett Pear good for?

Our top use scores for Bartlett Pear are canning and freezing (10/10), brandy and liqueurs (10/10), fresh eating (9/10), drying (9/10). Anything scored 8 or higher makes our Best Of lists.