Pyrus nivalis, commonly known as yellow pearorsnow pear, is a species of tree in the familyRosaceae that grows naturally from South-East Europe to Western Asia. Like most pears, its fruit can be eaten raw or cooked; it has a mild sour taste. The fruit is picked in October, when it is still dry and unripe; it will not become soft and sweet until the end of November or December, hence the name snow pear (German: Schneebirne).[1]
The plant is very colorful and may grow up to 10 meters tall and 8 meters wide. It is a very hardy plant that is able to survive with a small supply of water and can brave very high/low temperatures. It may hybridize with other pears, producing, for example, Pyrus austriaca in a cross with Pyrus pyraster.[2]
^Jacquin, Nicolaus Joseph (1774). Florae Austriacae. Vol. 2. Vienna: Leopold Johann Kaliwoda. p. 5.
^Sansavini, Silviero (2002). Proceedings of the VIIIth International Symposium on Pear. Ferrara-Bologna, Italy: International Society for Horticultural Science. pp. 191–192.
Media related to Pyrus nivalis at Wikimedia Commons
