Background: Dropped Concorde pears. Inset, back: Rudy Prey finds discoloring, showing that the trunk is infected with fireblight. Inset: Most of the trees and crop are gone in this tenth-leaf Concorde pear block. At one time, the Concorde pear appeared to have a lot of promise in Washington State. It’s a crisp, flavorful variety that can be eaten without ripening. The tree’s growth habit makes it suitable for high-density plantings, and returns to growers have been good. But it has one fatal flaw—its extreme sensitivity to fireblight. Many of the Concorde trees at Rudy Prey’s orchard at Peshastin in Washington’s […]