The Anjou is a very popular green pear often used by chefs for both cooking and serving fresh. The fruit stays green when ripe but is ready to eat when the flesh near the stem has some give to it. The taste is sweet with tart, citrusy notes, while the shape is more egg-shaped, tapering near the stem. It is an excellent pear to eat fresh and to cook with. The tree blooms white in the spring and is a vigorous grower. They bloom slightly later than the Bartlett, but the timing still overlaps. The fruit is generally ready to harvest in late September through early October.

Anjous are partly self-fertile but will bear much heavier with another pear nearby. The Bartlett, Red Bartlett, Moonglow, and Kieffer will pollinate the Anjou if they are planted within 100 feet of each other. In windy areas, it’s often a good idea to plant the trees closer together.