(Belle Lucrative, Seigneur Esperen)
Fondante d'Automne is a traditional French late-season pear variety with a sugary sweet flavour, very typical of the dessert pears which became fashionable in Europe in the 1830s. It soon became popular in England and the Americas - it is described by the English fruit enthusiast Robert Hogg, writing in the 1880s as "a delicious autumn pear".
The fruits are of medium size, usually covered with a light russet, and they have a fine-grained buttery flesh.
For best results, as with most pears, pick the fruits before they are fully ripe on the tree and ripen in a fruit bowl.
Contact us if you would like to go on the waiting list for next season.
Let me know when Fondante d'Automne pear trees are back in stock.
If you do not hear from us by March you can contact us to pre-order for next autumn.
Although never really a commercial variety, Fondante d'Automne is widely grown throughout Europe, North America, and Australia and is suitable for both warm climates and cool temperate climates. It seems relatively untroubled by the usual pear diseases.
Fondante d'Automne was raised in the 1820s, either by Mr Fievee of Maubeuge in northern France or Major Esperen of Malines in Belgium. It is usually known as Belle Lucrative in the USA and Australia. In Europe it is sometimes known as Seigneur Esperen.
