Burnt Ridge sells Pyrus ussuriensis as rootstock for pears, especially Asian pears, so almost certainly it will work in the opposite direction.

I think they are pretty close to asian pears genetically, the trees look pretty similar. So their compatibility is probably a good guide.

I don't think they are strictly ussuriensis; at some point I read about it but don't recall details now. I think they are a cross made a long, long time ago of several asian wild varieties.

Which ones do you have? There are some at ARS. I am growing some seedlings. I'm not sure why they are not grown in the US, they seem like nice pears to me.

Scott

Mine are seedlings. I don't have the room to grow the trees, so I need to graft. Fortunately, my only Asian pear tree had a rootstock that shot up a giant branch, so I will graft them there.

Do you know of any nursery that sells grafted varieties of these? I'd like to try them here.

Wonder if their blossoms smell any better than other pears.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chinese Fragrant Pears

Chinese fragrant pears are different from Chinese Ya pears.

Dave Wilson Nursery has the Chinese Ya pears (Ya Li).

I was not able to find a Chinese fragrant pear tree in the States.
Started two seedlings last year.

I'm curious how the Chinese propagate this tree, i.e. whether we're talking about a strain (from seed) or a cultivar (from cuttings or grafts) named "Fragrant."? Most of the oriental pear trees you see are Japanese varieties, which are grafted. Surely, some botanist/horticulturalist/experiment station here has grown them from seed, published something about them by now. That article is several years old.

There seem to be three kinds of Fragrant pear coming here from China. I've never seen one, but I guess folks in NYC and California can buy them. Maybe Walmart will give them a shot before too long.

I'd think that the trees should show up in a few years, if they do OK here.

Here is a link that might be useful: Import dealers

I don't know of any source for improved varieties; ARS has one but I think its also a seedling. According to that NYT article someone in Oregon imported some scionwood, but I have never seen it in circulation. You would think someone would be growing them here but on the other hand people are pretty narrow in experiment stations. Look at all the new fruits we recently have and I can't think of one whose introduction was led by the stations. What always happens is someone starts importing fruits grown elsewhere, and then it takes off here.

In terms of varieties, I am sure they are grafting the ones in China, and the seedlings may be quite inferior. The Chinese invented grafting after all.

Scott