Downtown Fruit Trees: Give Us Pears!

The pear trees on Immanuelkirchstrasse in Prenzlauer Berg have become poles. The Roads and Parks Authority (SGA) had them pruned roughly in preparation for felling. At the moment, bees and bumblebees should be buzzing around the fluffy flowers of Pyrus calleryana, better known as Chinese wild pear, so that they are fertilized.

But these trees, so that green space office should only be pretty, can’t bear fruit. A “wrong batch” was delivered in 1997. Apart from the fact that it took 25 (!) years to realize that this was illegal: it is perverse to plant fruitless trees. In addition, every schoolchild knows that nature always finds a way to spread itself out: Every construction site is green after a quarter of a year of non-operation.

How dangerous can fallen fruit become?

You could slip on the pears, says the SGA, claiming that they are larger than the standard Pyrus Calleryana fruits, which measure barely three centimetres. Concerned pedestrians have complained. Where have they been just the past quarter century to save humanity from the pears? And shouldn’t the cities become places of food production? Glass houses on the roofs, the planners call for vegetables and herbs on the balconies, why not fruit trees on the streets?

Fruit trees also keep the streets in the shade, stabilize the dam with their roots, and you can feast on the fruit, make jam, compote. Fruit trees were once even used for local social work: the fruits were sold to finance poorhouses, orphanages and homes for the elderly. Wouldn’t that be a new social care idea: Collect pears for the neighbors.

Gardeners praise frugality

However: The Chinese wild pear is considered an invasive species in the USA. However, birds love them just as much as insects, city planners are enthusiastic about the fast, space-saving growth, gardeners praise the frugality: little water, many leaves that bind the big city dust.

So: let the Immanuel pears stand, their branches grow back. However, the fruits have so far been considered inedible for humans. It is hard to imagine that Chinese cuisine missed out on this resource. Search request to the inclined readership: Recipes for Chinese wild pears. Maybe compote on vanilla ice cream?