Editing Pear (section)

{{Short description|Edible fruits from the genus Pyrus}}
{{Redirect2|Pear tree|Pyrus||Pear (disambiguation)|and|Pyrus (disambiguation)}}
{{Pp-pc|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2024}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = Pear
| image = Pears.jpg
| image_caption = [[Pyrus communis|European pear]] branch with two pears
| image2 = Pear DS.jpg
| image2_caption = Pear fruit cross section
| display_parents = 3
| taxon = Pyrus
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = About 30 species; see [[#Species and selected hybrids|text]]
}}

'''Pears''' are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in late summer into mid-autumn. The pear tree and shrub are a [[species]] of [[genus]] '''''Pyrus''''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|aɪ|r|ə|s}}, in the [[Family (biology)|family]] [[Rosaceae]], bearing the [[Pome|pomaceous]] fruit of the same name. Several species of pears are valued for their edible fruit and juices, while others are cultivated as trees.

The tree is medium-sized and native to coastal and mildly temperate regions of Europe, North Africa, and Asia. Pear wood is one of the preferred materials in the manufacture of high-quality [[woodwind instrument]]s and [[furniture]].

About 3,000 known varieties of pears are grown worldwide, which vary in both shape and taste. The fruit is consumed fresh, [[canning|canned]], as [[juice]], [[Dried fruit|dried]], or [[ferment]]ed as [[perry]].