Description

A Stark Bro's Exclusive!Easy to Grow! A Stark Pick

About the Starking® Hardy Giant™ Asian Pear Tree

Discover orchard excellence with the Starking® Hardy Giant™ Asian Pear Tree, a Stark Bro’s exclusive and Stark Pick! This cold-hardy marvel originates from Korea in 1969 and boasts a reputation as the best late-season Asian pear, bearing huge fruits.

With a round shape and russeted, fawn-brown skin, each pear weighs a generous 12 to 15 ounces. Its resistance to pear leaf spot ensures healthy growth, even in challenging conditions. Plus, it can be stored for up to nine months in refrigeration, extending your enjoyment well beyond harvest season.

How to Grow a Starking® Hardy Giant™ Asian Pear

Declared the favorite fruit of Stark Bro’s President, and chosen as one of our Stark Picks, you’ll find the Starking® Hardy Giant Asian Pear is one of the easiest fruit trees you can grow. Disease-resistance and hardiness to zone 4 make this particular tree a reliable choice for your home orchard.

Select a sunny location with well-drained soil for your Starking® Hardy Giant™ Asian Pear Tree. Ensure proper pollination by planting it alongside compatible varieties. Water regularly, especially during dry spells, and provide adequate mulching to retain moisture. Prune in late winter to shape the tree and improve air circulation.

Watch for ripening in October when the pears reach their peak sweetness. Gently twist or cut them from the tree, and refrigerate for long-term storage.

Survival Guaranteed!

Since 1816, Stark Bro’s has promised to provide customers with the very best fruit trees and plants. It’s just that simple. If your trees or plants do not survive, please let us know within one year of delivery. We will send you a free one-time replacement, with a nominal shipping fee of $9.99. If the item in question is not available, we can issue a one-time credit to your account equaling the original product purchase price or issue you a refund. Read more about our warranty policy.

Characteristics

Bloom Color White
Bloom Time Early
Chill Hours 700
Fruit Color Brown
Fruit Size Large
Hardiness Zone Range 4 - 8
Pollination Pollinator Required
Ripens/Harvest October
Shade/Sun Full Sun
Soil Composition Loamy
Soil Moisture Well Drained
Soil pH Level 6.0 - 7.0
Taste Sweet
Texture Crisp, Juicy
Years to Bear 4 - 6

Size & Spacing

Mature Size

The mature size of this variety depends on the version you choose to plant:
Semi-Dwarf 12 - 15' tall x 9 - 11' wide
Dwarf 8 - 10' tall x 6 - 7' wide

Recommended Spacing

The space needed for this variety to grow depends on the size you plant:
Semi-Dwarf 12 - 15'
Dwarf 8 - 10'

Zone Compatibility

This Variety's Zone Range 4 - 8
My Hardiness Zone ?
The USDA hardiness zones offer a guide to varieties that will grow well in certain climates. Each zone corresponds to the minimum winter temperatures experienced in a given area. Make sure that your hardiness zone lies within the zone compatibility range of this variety before ordering.

Pollination

This variety requires another one for adequate pollination.

Cross-pollination by a different variety is key to its growing and bearing success. Plant one of these varieties within 100' for best pollination.

Tools & Supplies

Having the proper tools and supplies when growing your own can make the difference between a good harvest and a great harvest! Here's a list that our experts recommend for this variety.

Planting & Care

Learn all about how to grow pear trees in The Growing Guide. An entire section of our website dedicated to your growing success.

Shipping Information

Arrives when it's time to plant

Your success is our priority. We work hard to make sure that your order arrives at the ideal time for planting in your location based on your local climate conditions.

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Questions & Answers

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140 Questions
Why did you choose this?

I'm excited to add pears to our home orchard. I also purchased a Bartlett Pear Tree as a pollinator.

Have one and I figured that it would be awesome to have another.

The size of the pear

This is another excellent choice for people living in very cold environments.

What are chilling requirements of Starking giant Asian pears?

The chill hours required for this Asian pear are 400-500.

Is this variety resistant to fire blight?

I have several Hardy Giants and for the most part they do resist fire blight. This year was bad for us in eastern NC. Fire blight must be controlled early and important to prune and sterilize between each cut. Hardy Giants are the best, Hosui is great pollinator and very heavy producer, ripens earlier, and very sweet. Stark Brothers have the best product.

Will this pear cross pollinate with an Ayers or Kieffer Pear?
Will the Hardy Giant be pollinated by a Moonglow since it is a Bartlett type pear?

Yes, that will work.

is the starking hardy giant asian pear resistent to fire blight?

This variety has an excellent resistance to fire blight.

Can I use the Moonglow pear as a pollinator for the Asian Pear?

Hi Peter - We appreciate you reaching out to us. We recommend that you use choose another pear variety, like Hosui, New Century or Bartlett. If you have any other questions or concerns please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Have a great day!

I live in San Antonio. Will this grow here? And, can I keep it in a pot indoors until next summer?

Hi Peter - We appreciate you reaching out to us. The zone range on this variety is zone 4-8. If you have any other questions or concerns please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Have a great day!

Who are the best pollinators for this tree? I would like a variety of pears if possible.

Have you considered grafting additional Asian or even European pears on your Giant/Olympic? It is a way to have multiple varieties on less trees. I started w/one Peggy asian pear, now have three actual trees, but a total of eight varieties on the three, including Bartlett, all others are different Asian pears. Eventually will remove a few varieties probably that I like the least. Grafting not that hard if you do some YouTube research, there are companies that sell scions for many varieties... They cost me about five dollars per.

Is this the same as/similar to Korean Giant?

It is one and the same. It is also the same Asian pear as 'Olympic'.

Was wondering if you need to stake the tree?

I have 7 Asian pears trees, and two of them are hardy giant Asian pears. this is one of favorite Asian pears, they are large and have a great taste.

I did not state any of my Asian pears, however there were times after the winter snow, heavy spring rain and heavy winds some of my fruit trees leaned/tilted due to the loose water logged ground/soil...

so then I took 1/2 inch steel conduit; pounded into the ground approximately 1-3 feet away from the trunk and then used a rubber truck strap and wrapped it around the trunk and then secured it onto the steel conduit to strengthen the tree.

then very gently I walked on the side of the conduit from the trunk and then to the conduit to slightly/softly compact the soil a little bit, which seem to help keep the tree straight upward.

tip:-always prune this tree every year as suggestive via stark brother recommendations because the giant Asian pear fruit is large, and very heavy, and will crack the fruit limbs if there is to much weight from to many fruit on the limb.

also make sure you allow 1 flower per cluster, with a distance of 6-8 inches apart from another flower as not to bear to much weight on the fruit tree limb. some people leave 2 flower per cluster, and once the flower establishes fruit, then they will remove the smaller growing fruit.

you will enjoy this giant Asian pear for many years to come, it is one of most favorite fruits.

Customer Reviews

162 Ratings
4.1out of 5 stars
162 Ratings

Rated 5 stars by 62% of reviewers

Rated 4 stars by 12% of reviewers

Rated 3 stars by 7% of reviewers

Rated 2 stars by 7% of reviewers

Rated 1 star by 12% of reviewers

1-10 of 162 Reviews
Rated 5 out of 5
Jul 10, 2025
Customer
Asian Pear Apples are delicious. We will bring our Asian pear apple trees inside for winter. I recommend Stark Bros to my family and friends.
Rated 5 out of 5
Jul 8, 2025
Trees were shipped fast and came to me professionally pruned and ready for planting.
Rated 5 out of 5
Jun 28, 2025
It is still alive and it has no problem. It grows fast . I started to have two pears in the third years.
Rated 5 out of 5
Jan 6, 2025
Wonderful trees
Well I have to say that my Asian pear trees are doing fantastic they have been loaded with pears the last 2years.
Rated 5 out of 5
Oct 21, 2024
Fast fruiting and fantastic flavor!
I put one in the ground in Fall of 2022 in a part of my backyard that mostly gets western sun. On the second year it gave me 2 extremely juicy and sweet fruit. It's in a tie for my top 3 fruits you can grow in zone 6.
Rated 5 out of 5
Sep 23, 2024
Stark is the best!
I bought this Hardy Asian Pear tree from Stark Bros as a replacement for another tree ordered from another on-line tree nursery that didn't grow at all. It is the fastest growing tree in my little orchard of baby trees. It is the healthiest, biggest tree I have, my suggestion is to order all your trees from Stark and you'll be a happy camper!
Rated 5 out of 5
Sep 18, 2024
5 years to a huge bounty in Fitzwilliam, NH.
Very happy with them. Planted in 2019 they are _loaded_ with fruit this year (2024). I have one asian giant and one other green asian pear.
Rated 5 out of 5
Sep 4, 2024
Good tree
Pear tree is off to a good start. Very healthy and has grown quite a bit since planting
Rated 5 out of 5
Aug 27, 2024
Hardy Indeed, love it
Wonderful tree type, disease resistant, thrive all summer upon planting!!
Rated 5 out of 5
Aug 23, 2024
So far so good! It already has new growth and looks healthy.