A good way to research this is to look at what fruit grows in your state.
If you are thinking about growing pears, then you will want to research where pears grow.
This way, you can quickly work out if you will be able to successfully grow pear trees on your property and enjoy the fruits of your labor (literally).
So, this guide will be diving into all the places pears grow.
This includes what climates pear trees prefer, what states they are usually grown in as well as what countries produce the most pears.
Check out the information below to learn the answers to all your pear-growing questions!
What Climates Do Pears Grow In?
Pears are native to the ‘Old World’ – referring to the Afro-Eurasia landmass that includes the continents of Asia, Europe, and Africa.
So, immediately, it’s clear that pears are a pretty versatile fruit as they can grow across such a wide landmass.
Originally, pear trees near coastal regions in mildly temperate regions. This includes coastal regions of Europe, Asia, and North Africa.
Today, pear trees tend to grow best in both cool and temperate climates that can be found around the world on all continents (except Antarctica).
So, if you live in a temperate climate, you can probably grow a pear tree no problem – but what is a temperate climate exactly?
Temperate climates are climates that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth, between the polar and tropical regions.
They are defined as having moderate rainfall (with the occasional drought) and having wider temperature ranges throughout the year. This means they have distinctive seasonal changes.
Some examples of temperate climates include:
Western Europe, particularly France and the UK.
Eastern North America
Eastern Australia
These are all areas where pear trees can grow and thrive.
What Countries Do Pears Grow In?
Now you know what climate pears grow in, you can hazard a guess in what countries they tend to grow in.
The truth is that pears can potentially grow in a huge range of countries, even in ones with more areas that are almost subtropical.
A good way to find out which countries grow the most pears is to check out manual pear producing numbers.
Pear production measures the amount of pears grown specifically to be packed up and sold for consumption.
This doesn’t take into account the pear trees locals may grow in the backyard, but it’s a good indicator to find out where in the world pears can grow.
The country that produces the most pears per year is actually China. Between 2021 and 2022, China produced nearly 19 thousand tons of pears.
So, clearly, pears can grow in Chinna – and they must grow pretty well if the country can produce so many each year!
China actually produces around 70% of the world’s total of pear production.
In second place is the US itself. Some tables actually group many European countries together under the EU and combine each country’s pear production, totalling at over a million tons each year.
The US produces an average of 600 to 700 tones of pears each year alone.
Despite this, both numbers pale in comparison to China’s.
Other countries (including countries bundled into the EU count) known for their pear production numbers includes:
Italy
Argentina
Turkey
South Africa
Netherlands
Belgium
Spain
India
Chile
Japan
So, pears really do grow all over the world – from Japan to the US, from France to South Africa.
What States Do Pears Grow In?
The US is one of the world’s largest pear producers but in truth, only a few states grow pears. 95% of pears sold in the US are home grown across three states.
These three states are Oregon, Washington, and California. Behind these three states, Pennsylvania, New York, and Michigan are the next three states that produce the most pears.
So if you live in any of these states, you should be able to grow pear trees just fine. They feature the temperate climates pear trees love as they are close to a coast.
This doesn’t mean that if you don’t live in these states, you should just give up on your pear orchard dreams.
Even hot states like Texas can grow pears although the climate in most areas are better suited for cherries, peaches, and plums.
Pears trees are very versatile and can potentially grow in the right areas – you just might not get a fantastic crop each and every year.
Final Thoughts
So, where do pears and pear trees grow? The answer is pretty much anywhere.
Pear trees grow best in temperate climates like in states like Washington or Oregon, in countries like Italy or China.
However, you can grow pear trees in lots of different climates but you can’t expect them to bear as much fruit as they would in their ideal climates.
So, if you want to grow a pear tree in your backyard – give it a go and good luck!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Month Are Pears Best?
Pears are available all year round in the US but in most states, peak pear season tends to occur between September and January. During this time, you can purchase more varieties.
Outside of pear season, there are only three common types of pear you can find easily at your local grocery store.
These are:
Anjou pears Bartlett pears Bosc pears
What Country Eats The Most Pears?
As well as being one of the world’s largest pear producers, China is also the country with the largest volume of pear consumption per year.
Every year, China eats its way through 16 million tonnes of pears – that is 66% of the world’s total consumption of pears! This means that every year, a majority of pears are eaten in China.
The next country with the largest volume or pear consumption is Italy but it’s not even close between them. Italy consumes just 689 thousand tonnes of pairs each year – way behind China and it’s 16 million tonnes.
Hello, my name is Valentina and I am the founder or ‘grower’ as I like to call myself of BonitaFruitTrees.com.
Cultivating my own fruit trees is definitely my passion, and has been for such a long time.
That’s what made me want to make this website. I wanted to create a place where I could share my experiences with others, teach more people how to grow fruit trees, and just help them have a little fun with it.
