Summer 2024You can now pre-order for next season. Deliveries will begin again in September for pot grown trees and December for bare-rooted or mixed tree orders.
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Chanticleer

Pyrus calleryana

Chanticleer is one of the best ornamental flowering pears. It begins to flower quite early in the spring when there is not much else around - the white flowers are large and stand out clearly because they appear ahead of the leaves. In autumn the leaves take on fiery tints - often much later than other trees.

The small pears are not really suitable for human consumption, but provide useful bird food late in the autumn.

The leaves are a glossy green over the summer, but take on fiery colours in the autumn and only fall when winter arrives.

The growth is quite compact and upright, taking little space.

Chanticleer flowering pear trees for sale

  • 11-year bare-root tree £46.50
    Very large size (4m-7m after 10 years)
  • 22-year pot-grown tree £72.00
    In a 12L pot
    Very large size (4m-7m after 10 years)
Next deliveries

You can now pre-order for next season.

How to grow

Chanticleer will grow reliably in almost any soil conditions - acidity and drainage or drought rarely seem to bother it, nor does atmospheric pollution. It also has some resistance to fireblight, which can affect pears.

The blossom is very attractive and profuse, but is not capable of pollinating fruiting pears.

The best autumn colour is achieved in areas with drier climates.

Our Chanticleer trees are grafted on a vigorous rootstock and will eventually become quite large, up to 6m or so - but they are quite slow-growing.

History

The species Pyrus calleryana is native to central China, and was introduced to the UK and USA in the early 20th century.

Chanticleer characteristics

  • Gardening skillAverage
  • AwardsRHS AGM (former) - 2002
  • Attractive featuresAttractive flowersAutumn foliage colour
  • Growth habitUpright
  • Height after 10 years3m-5m / 10ft-16ft
  • SunlightPrefers full sun
  • PruningLight prune
  • Growth rateSlow
  • Site conditionsOccasional floodingOccasional droughtFree-draining siteAir pollution
  • WildlifeAttractive to birds
  • Flower colourWhite
  • Flowering monthMarchApril
  • Leaf colourGreen
  • Leaf colour - autumnMultiple tints
  • Leaf/Flower sequenceFlowers appear first
  • Fruit sizeSmall
  • Country of originChina
  • Annual cycleDeciduous

What will it look like?

Illustrative example of a pot-grown tree of this variety as supplied. Approximate girth: 6/8cm. We try to keep all pot-grown trees down to about 1.5m as supplied, but some may be larger. Trees should reach their mature height after about 10 or more years. We may also have 1-year bare-root trees of this variety - they are not shown here.

Pyrus Chanticleer flowering pear tree