Apodytes Dimidiata 'White Pear'

Add year-round greenery and indigenous beauty to your garden with Apodytes dimidiata, commonly known as the White Pear or Witpeer. This handsome South African evergreen occurs naturally from the Cape Peninsula northwards through southern and eastern Africa and is particularly well suited to Cape gardens.

The White Pear develops a dense, rounded crown of glossy green leaves with attractive smooth, pale grey bark. Small, fragrant white flowers appear in loose clusters during summer, followed by unusual flattened black fruit with a bright scarlet-red fleshy appendage. The fruit is particularly attractive to birds.

Growing to approximately 4–6 m in garden conditions, the White Pear makes an excellent specimen, screening or shade tree. Its root system is considered suitable for planting near paving and buildings, making it an especially useful indigenous tree for suburban gardens.

Why You'lll Love It:

• Handsome evergreen indigenous tree
• Glossy green foliage throughout the year
• Small, fragrant white summer flowers
• Decorative black and red fruit attracts birds
• Root system is unlikely to lift paving or disturb foundations
• Excellent for screening, shade and smaller gardens

Plant & Care

Plant in full sun in well-drained soil enriched with compost. Water regularly and deeply while the tree is establishing, particularly during its first few summers. Once established, it is a tough, relatively water-wise garden tree.

Mulch around the root zone to help retain moisture during Cape summers, keeping the mulch away from the trunk. Prune lightly when necessary to maintain a neat shape.

Did You Know?

The name dimidiata means “two equal parts”, referring to the unusual appearance of the fruit. Each flattened black fruit carries a bright scarlet-red fleshy appendage that attracts fruit-eating birds to the garden.