Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Bartlett pear (Pyrus communis 'Bartlett')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Bartlett pear, Williams pear, Williams' Bon Chrétien.

More about bartlett pear

About Bartlett pear

Pyrus communis 'Bartlett' · also called Bartlett pear, Williams pear · edible

Bartlett (called Williams in the UK) is the world's most widely grown pear cultivar, prized for its tender, juicy flesh and classic pear aroma. A mid-season variety needing around 800 chill hours, it sets best with a cross-pollinator (avoid Seckel). Harvest firm and ripen at room temperature. Highly susceptible to fire blight.

Cold limit: USDA 5-9 · RHS H6 (-20 to 35°C)

Watch for — Post-harvest senescence: Bartlett flesh quickly turns mealy if left on the tree too long or not cold-conditioned correctly. Harvest when the background skin turns from green to yellow-green and the fruit releases with gentle upward pressure. Ripen at 18–21°C (65–70°F) for 5–10 days after a brief cold period.

What bartlett pear's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — bartlett pear is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 5-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H6 means: Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe. On the US scale that maps to USDA 5-9 — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Bartlett pear is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for bartlett pear as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °C once established.
Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root.
First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.

Can bartlett pear go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 5-9 and it overwinters with little or no help.
It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy.
The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when bartlett pear can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H6 figure above.

Bartlett pear hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is bartlett pear cold hardy?

Yes — bartlett pear is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 5-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Bartlett pear is hardy across USDA 5-9; it belongs in the ground or a frost-proof container, not on a windowsill, and many types actively need a cold winter to perform.

What is the minimum temperature bartlett pear can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Bartlett pear is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is bartlett pear?

Bartlett pear is rated USDA 5-9 and RHS H6 — Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe.

Can bartlett pear survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 5-9 and it overwinters with little or no help. It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy. The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

What happens to bartlett pear below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °C once established. Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root. First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.