The Bollwiller pear tree(Sorbopyrus auricularis) is the result of an unexpected cross between a pear and a rowan tree in Alsace around 1600, creating a new kind of fruit that is in danger of disappearing. Here’s a fruit you’re unlikely to find in the grocery store, to plant at home to discover its tropical flavor, halfway between pear and sorbet.

Small, clustered, seedless pears, rounded, yellow and orange, blushing on the sunny side, are sweet and give off an enthusiastic rosacea floral aroma. It can be kept safe from pilferers, since it continues to ripen after harvest. Delicious fresh, dried or canned. The hybrid defends itself well against disease and produces even in poor soil. The Bollwiller pear tree is of reasonable size, with fragrant, self-fertilizing blossoms.