The Evergreen Pear is a semi-deciduous tree, more likely evergreen to some extent, growing moderately to 15-20' and about the same width. It can have multiple trunks and have more of a shrub like appearance. It generally forms a broad spreading dome shaped canopy. Generally thin in appearance, because the leaves are killed by a fungus.
Leaves are alternate, simple, bright glossy light green 2-3" long, obovate to broadly elliptical with undulated and serrulated margins. Petiole is reddish, and often grooved. The tree generally looks pretty bad as a foliage disease seen below causes the leaves to fall prematurely. Entomosporium is the fungus causing the spots, and Fire Blight is also a big problem.
Stems with sharply diverging buds.
Flower display can be very attractive, with white 1" flowers in clusters of 10-15 flowers very early in the spring. They really did not bloom well this year.
The tree does produce small little fruit resembling an Asian Pear.
Without a doubt, one of the best assets (only one maybe) of the tree is the bark and the branching pattern. The bark is rough, checked into small plates, dark brown with black.
Misidentification: If there are no leaves and its blooming it looks like other pears, except for the trunks. We used to use the foliage leaf spots as a way it identify the plant, pretty sad.
Locations:
Soquel : on Porter near the intersection of Porter and Soquel Drive
