The Winter Nelis pear is a deciduouspear tree growing to 8 m depending on rootstock, and is sparse and spreading in form. It is not frost tender. Its flowers are self-sterile and a pollinator tree is required that flowers at a similar time (its flowering group is D or 4).[1] It is a late-season dessert pear. The fruit are medium in size and have outstanding storage properties for a pear, easily keeping for a couple of months. Hoggs Fruit Manual (1880s) describes it as one of the richest flavoured pears, flesh being yellowish, fine-grained, buttery and melting, with a rich, sugary and vinous flavour and a fine aroma.[2]
The pear is named after the Flemish nobleman Jan-Karel de Nelis [fr; nl] (1748–1834), who raised it from seed in the early 1800s. It was introduced to England in 1818 and to the United States in 1823[3][4]
