Doyenné Boussoch

‘Doyenné Boussoch’, also known as ‘Double Philippe’ and ‘Beurré de Mérode’, is an old Belgian autumn pear renowned for its vigour, fertility and generously sized fruit.

The pears are broad and rounded, initially green before turning lemon yellow when ripe, sometimes with a light blush on the sun-exposed side. Their yellowish-white flesh is exceptionally juicy, refreshing and sweet-sharp, with a pleasant aroma.

When picked shortly before full maturity, the fruit remains crisp. It then softens quickly and should be monitored carefully, as it may begin to break down from the core once the skin turns yellow. Its storage life is short and generally limited to a few weeks.

‘Doyenné Boussoch’ is a good dessert pear and an excellent variety for cooking, compotes and preserves, as its flesh retains a light colour after processing.

The tree is very vigorous and hardy, forming a rounded crown that can eventually become large. This triploid variety produces poor-quality pollen and should be grown with two compatible diploid varieties flowering at a similar time. Its compatibility with quince is poor, so a pear rootstock or a compatible interstem is preferable.