About Pyrus cordata Desv.
Pyrus cordata Desv., commonly known as the Plymouth pear, is a deciduous shrub or small tree that grows up to 10 metres (33 ft) tall. It is hardy and not frost tender, but its ability to produce fruit and seed depends on favourable weather conditions. It flowers from April to May; its flowers are hermaphroditic and pollinated by insects. The tree bears pale cream blossom with some pink tones. The blossom scent has been described as faint but unpleasant, compared to rotting scampi, soiled sheets, or wet carpets. This odour primarily attracts flies, including species such as Bibio marci that are more typically drawn to decaying plant matter. This species has an Atlantic distribution across Western Europe. It is common in Brittany (France), Northern Portugal, and Galicia (Spain), and has a small, established presence in the United Kingdom in Devon and Cornwall, where it is currently thought to be an archaeophyte. It grows at woodland margins, in thickets, hedgerows, scrub, and open woods on acid soils, in cool-temperate climates found in lowlands and hills. Little is known about the species' specific habitat requirements in the United Kingdom, so conservationists study its behaviour in Brittany to better understand these needs.
