Pear Maxine Dwarf

Maxine Pear

warf Maxine Pear / Maxine Pear

‘Maxine’ is a productive deciduous fruit tree and European pear cultivar with upright growth, white spring flowers, glossy green foliage, and medium-sized green-gold fruit with fine russeting. The fruit is generally used as a fresh-eating and kitchen pear, and Cummins Nursery notes that ‘Maxine’ is almost certainly the same cultivar as Starking® Delicious distributed by Stark Bro’s. Chicago Botanic Garden lists Pyrus communis ‘Maxine’ as an upright tree for full sun, hardy in zones 4–8.

Type: Deciduous fruit tree / dwarf European pear
Mature Size: 8–10 ft. wide × 10–15 ft. tall as a dwarf; size varies by rootstock and pruning
USDA Zones: 4a–8b
Form: Upright, compact fruit tree
Light: Full sun
Soil / Water: Moderate, fertile, well-drained soil; average moisture during establishment and fruit sizing; avoid wet, poorly drained sites
Bloom Time / Length: Spring; Chicago Botanic Garden lists white flowers and full-sun exposure for ‘Maxine.’
Fruit Time: Late summer to fall, depending on region
Wildlife: Flowers attract bees and other pollinating insects; ripe or dropped fruit may attract birds, deer, squirrels, raccoons, and other wildlife

Features & Landscape Uses:
Excellent for small orchards, edible landscapes, backyard fruit gardens, espalier, sunny borders, and compact fruit plantings. ‘Maxine’ is especially useful where a hardy European pear with upright growth and improved disease tolerance is wanted. Washington State University lists ‘Maxine’ among pear cultivars reported to be somewhat resistant to fire blight, though it should still be monitored in humid or high-pressure areas.

Care:
Plant in full sun with good air circulation. Prune annually during dormancy to maintain structure, control height, and encourage fruiting spurs. Avoid excess nitrogen, because overly vigorous pear growth can increase fire blight risk. Thin fruit if crops are heavy to improve size and reduce limb stress. Watch for fire blight, pear psylla, codling moth, scab, rust, and leaf spot.

Pollination:
Requires another compatible pear for best fruit production. Illinois Extension specifically notes that ‘Maxine’ and ‘Starking Delicious’ do not pollinate each other, which supports the idea that they are too closely related or the same cultivar; choose a different compatible European pear with overlapping bloom time.

Chill Requirement:
Not consistently listed in nursery sources; generally treated as a cold-hardy European pear suited to zones 4–8.

Plant type

Fruit Tree

Height

10-025"

Width

8-10'

Hardiness zones

4–8

Sunlight

Full Sun

Growth rate

Moderate

Flower color

Dark Salmon

Leaf color

Green

Fall color

Red

Attracts

Bees, Butterflies

Soil

Moist well-drained, Rich

Landscape use

Accent Plant, Fruit, Home Orchard

Shape

Compact, Upright

Fruit

Yes

Fragrant

Yes

Drought tolerant

No