Seckel Pear
Pyrus communis cv.
Said to have originated on a farm near Philadelphia, produces small fruits in early fall with dull yellow-brown skin and juicy white flesh possessing a spicy flavor and aroma.
Thomas Jefferson recording the planting of a Seckel Pear at Monticello in 1807 and said that this variety "exceeded anything I have tasted since I left France, and equalled any pear I had seen there." A.J. Downing, America's foremost nineteenth-century pomologist, agreed, saying "We do not hesitate to pronounce this American pear the richest and most exquisitely flavored variety known. In its highly concentrated, spicy and honied flavor, it is not equaled by any European variety. When we add that the tree is the healthiest and hardiest of all pear trees, it is easy to see that we consider no garden complete without it. It is believed to have originated on a farm outside of Philadelphia."
The fruit of the Seckel Pear ripens in early fall, with its skin turning to dull yellowish-brown with a russet red cheek. Its flesh is whitish, buttery, very juicy and melting, with a spicy flavor and aroma.
In Bloom at Monticello is made possible by support from The Richard D. and Carolyn W. Jacques Foundation.
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Heirloom Seeds and Plants from the Monticello collection
Plant history in your gardens with seeds and plants from Monticello and the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants.
