Pyrus communis (species) en

Species of medium sized, fruit-bearing tree that is probably of European origin, and has been cultivated since long before the Christian era. Thousands of varieties have been bred and named since ancient times in Europe alone. It is propagated by budding or grafting onto a rootstock. In Europe the main rootstock used is quince, which produces a dwarfed tree that fruits at an earlier age than most of the trees on pear rootstocks. The common pear was introduced into the New World by British and other Europeans as soon as the colonies were established. Also at an early date, Spanish missionaries carried the fruit to Mexico and California.