Like apples and cherries, pears do extremely well in the Loire Valley. The perfect climate for them here has resulted in many very old gnarled pear trees in farmyards and along country roadsides. These old, semi-wild pear trees have fruit that is very large and woody. They are not for eating fresh, and even cooked they are not always successful, so mostly now they become food for omnivorous wildlife such as martens and badgers.
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| Doyenne de Comice and Nashi pears in my orchard. |
To find out the surprising ways pears are (or were) used in the Loire Valley and why there are so many pear trees in the landscape book a tour with us.