Taylor's Gold Pear
Pollination & Compatibility Guide
Taylor's Gold pear pollination guide: Comice russet mutation, Bloom Group 3 overlap, Quince rootstock affinity, and handling durability.
Taylor's Gold is Self-Sterile (Needs 1 Diploid Partner)
A russet sport of Comice — the same tree with a different skin, so Comice cannot pollinate it and it cannot pollinate Comice. Conference, Beurré Hardy and Concorde are all compatible partners of overlapping late-mid bloom. Taylor's Gold needs at least one compatible pollinizer from bloom group 2–4 to set a reliable crop.
- Chromosome Ploidy
- Diploid (2n)
- Required Companions
- 1 Diploid Partner
- Bloom Group
- Group 3 (Mid-Spring)
- Harvest Timing
- Late (+14d from Conference)
Flowering Period & Overlap Window
Pear flowering periods are compressed into numbered bloom groups (1 through 4). Cross-pollination requires overlapping blossom timing between genetically compatible cultivars, with Asian pears flowering 7–14 days ahead of mid-season European varieties.
Any compatible diploid pear flowering within Group 2 to 4 provides matching blossom overlap.
Compatible Pollination Partners (19)
| Cultivar | Bloom Group | Overlap Type | Harvest | Primary Uses | Interactive Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late Concurrent (±0d) | Fresh Eating, Baking | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late Concurrent (±0d) | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid Concurrent (±0d) | Fresh Eating, Storage | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±14d delta | Fresh Eating, Cooking | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±21d delta | Fresh Eating, Canning | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid ±21d delta | Fresh Eating, Canning | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid ±28d delta | Fresh Eating, Canning | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Early ±28d delta | Fresh Eating, Canning | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Early ±39d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid ±42d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late Concurrent (±0d) | Fresh Eating, Cooking | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late Concurrent (±0d) | Canning, Cooking | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Mid Concurrent (±0d) | Fresh Eating, Storage | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±21d delta | Fresh Eating, Storage | Test Cross | |
| Group 2 | Full Overlap | Mid ±21d delta | Fresh Eating, Pickling | Test Cross |
Incompatible Varieties & Exclusions (7)
These pear varieties overlap in flowering time with Taylor's Gold but cannot fertilise it due to non-viable pollen (male-sterile diploids), direct parentage exclusions, or shared incompatibility alleles.
A sport of the same cultivar — genetically identical, so it carries the same incompatibility alleles and cannot pollinate it.
A sport of a direct parent (Doyenné du Comice × Conference) — genetically identical to that parent, so roughly half its pollen is non-functional and it is not a reliable partner.
Gourmet produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
A sport of a direct parent (Bartlett × Doyenné du Comice) — genetically identical to that parent, so roughly half its pollen is non-functional and it is not a reliable partner.
Luscious produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
A sport of a direct parent (Giant Seckel × Doyenné du Comice) — genetically identical to that parent, so roughly half its pollen is non-functional and it is not a reliable partner.
Warren produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Pomological Assessment: Complete Cinnamon Russet, Comice Quality & Pollinizer Alignment
Discovered in New Zealand in 1986 as a natural russeted limb mutation of Doyenné du Comice, Taylor's Gold offers the extraordinary buttery melting quality of Comice wrapped in a handsome, uniform cinnamon-gold russet coat. The russeted skin is durable and far less prone to superficial transit bruising than smooth Comice.
Taylor's Gold is a diploid cultivar blooming in Bloom Group 3. It requires cross-pollination from companion diploids like Conference, Concorde, Williams (Bartlett), or Beurré Bosc. It produces viable pollen and acts as a dependable reciprocal donor.
In the orchard, tree vigour and form mirror Comice, requiring early canopy training and limb spreading to stimulate lateral fruiting spurs. Commercial plantings benefit from Quince rootstocks that bring early precocity and temper excessive branch extension. The uniform cinnamon russet surface is a significant commercial asset, completely hiding minor superficial blemishes and wind marks that would downgrade smooth-skinned Comice fruit, thereby delivering higher first-grade marketable turnout in windy orchard locations.
Key Orchard Considerations for Taylor's Gold
Shares Comice's high direct compatibility with Quince A and Quince C rootstocks, which temper tree vigour and promote rapid onset of fruiting.
Moderately susceptible to fire blight and scab. The russeted skin provides physical resilience against handling abrasions but requires standard preventative fungal protection.
Harvests mid-to-late season. Requires four to six weeks of cold storage conditioning at -0.5°C before ripening to a luscious, perfumed, melting texture.
Take Taylor's Gold from Planning to Planting
Use Kropigo's free browser tools to model your block density, tree counts, and pollinizer rows, then maintain permanent orchard records row by row.
Pollination Checker
Check Taylor's Gold against supported cultivars with compatible flowering and pollination data.
Commercial Block Planner
Calculate high-density tree spacing, row geometry, and establishment costs.
Block Record Keeping
Track pruning, chemical thinning, and harvest tallies block by block from the orchard.