Savignac Pear

Overview

Savignac is a decently cold climate adapted European pear (Pyrus communis) selected in Québec, grown for reliable cropping and genuinely good fresh-eating quality in short-season climates. The fruit is typically sweet, juicy, and aromatic, and it performs best when harvested firm and finished (ripened) off the tree.

Origin & History

Savignac is reported as having been found/selected in Québec (often specified as Abbé Savignac, Abitibi). Parentage has not been reliably published in accessible primary references (it is generally treated as a chance seedling/selection rather than a documented cross), so we are not assigning a cross or parents here.

Fruit & Uses

Savignac is a small-to-medium, rounder pear with green to green-yellow skin and white flesh, notable for sweetness, juiciness, aroma, and relatively low grit. It is best picked while still firm/green and ripened on the counter for peak texture and flavor. In addition to fresh eating, it works well for cooking and preserves, but it is generally a shorter-keeper (think weeks, not months).

Growth Habit & Spacing

Savignac is vigorous, productive, and generally “grower-friendly.” Some growers note a spreading tendency and low-to-medium vigor depending on site, rootstock, and training, but the consistent theme is that it bears and produces reliably for a hardy pear.

We currently offers Savignac on Pyrus communis full-size rootstock. For full-size European pear rootstock, a practical baseline is 18–22 feet between trees, with the tighter end achievable only if you plan to prune annually and keep the canopy narrow. If you intend minimal pruning and have richer soils or irrigation, plan closer to the wider end. A person could go even tighter than 18 ft. and prune annually, although areas that have longer growing season, deeper soils, etc., may need to do Spring and Summer pruning on P. communis rootstock for spacing tighter than 18 ft. apart.

Pollination 

Like most pears, Savignac is not self-fertile and needs a pollenizer. It is a European pear in the communis pollination group, meaning it should be paired with another European pear. Partners for Savignac that we offer include Flemish Beauty, Nova, Giffard, Seckel, Bartlett, and Stuttgarter Gaishirtle.

Cold Hardiness 

Savignac is consistently treated as a hardy pear in cold-climate circles (commonly placed around zone 3b and sometimes discussed as zone 2 class by growers). In terms of our experience, it has survived -38F in Stevensville, MT from an arctic blast on 1/13/24 without sustaining any winter injury. As such we are listing it as hardy to zone 3a until we have more data to confirm it surviving colder temps.

Other Notes

Savignac is a “pick firm, ripen off-tree” pear: harvesting it while still green/firm and allowing it to finish on the counter is the way to get its best eating quality. Savignac is also repeatedly described as disease-resistant in nursery and grower write-ups; however, those sources typically do not specify which diseases or provide trial data, so we are keeping that claim general rather than naming specific resistances without published evidence.