Over 3000 cultivars of the pear are known. The following is a list of the more common and important cultivars, with the year and place of origin (where documented) and an indication of whether the pears are for cooking, eating, canning, drying or making perry. Those varieties marked have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Those varieties marked FCC have gained the Royal Horticulatural Society's First Class Certificate.
Cultivars