Onward

An Engish dessert pear not unlike Comice with excellent flavour and good reliable cropping.

Origin: Surrey UK, 1947

Pollination: Onward is self-sterile and would require a pollinator to produce a crop.Find pollination partners >

British-grown All our bare-root trees are personally hand-grafted by our Nursery Manager and grown on at our nursery in Kent. We have Defra and Plant Healthy certification. More ...

We are now closed for the season. Ordering for winter 2026/27 will be enabled from Friday 1st May 2026.

History and description of Onward

Onward was raised in 1947 at the National Fruit Trials Wisley, Surrey, UK from a cross between Laxton's Superb and Doyenne du Comice.

Medium sized, pyriform shaped fruit. Fairly smooth pale green skin ripening to yellow green. Pinkish red flush and patches of brown russet. Smooth, soft, juicy, creamy white flesh. Excellent sweet flavour with a little acidity.

Moderately vigorous tree. Very reliable good cropper. Not a good pollination partner for Doyenne du Comice

Characteristics of Onward pear trees

Use	Dessert
Colour
Flavour
Fruit size	Medium
Picking time	Sep
Season of use	Sep-Oct
Tree vigour	Moderate
Tree habit	Upright-spreading
Fruit-bearing	Spur-bearer
Cropping	Good
Disease resistance	Scab - Slightly resistant
Suitable for	Northern Britain
Pollination date	23
Pollination group	E
Self-fertility	Self-sterile
Incompatibility group	3
Pollinators	Pollination partners
Parentage	Doyenne du Comice