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Ya Li is commonly cultivated in Shansi, Hopeh, Shantung, and Honan Provinces of Northeastern China. The tree is large, vigorous, spreading, dense, and productive. The bark is smooth with dark, greenish-brown under-color overlaid with thin, shedding, grayish-white cork tissue. Petioles of young leaves may have one or more needle-like stipules on ventral side near the base of the blade that slough off as the leaves age. Ya Li cultivar is self-incompatible and self-unfruitful in most years. It requires cross-pollination to yield fruits at commercial magnitude. Such cross-pollination can be accomplished with Twentieth Century, Kikusui, Chojuro, Bartlett, Shinseiki, or Tsu Li to yield good fruit-sets.

Hu (1937) reported that Tsu Li is an old and famous variety in the Shantung Province of Northeastern China, and that production is restricted to the Chucheng, Laiyang, and Penglai districts. Kubo (1970) stated that Tsu Li was introduced into Japan from Laiyang in 1912 by Tetsuya Onta. -- W.H. Griggs and B.T. Awakiri. 1977. Asian Pear Varieties in California

This clone was introduced as PI 224088 with the spelling 'Tzu Li' in March 1955 from Tokyo University, Hongo, Tokyo, Japan. Obtained by University of California at Davis in 1957. -- Griggs and Awakiri. 1977

Tse Li (Ts Li) (PI 312509).--Grown in Shantung Province, Northern China for thousands of years. Fruit: large, 75 mm diam., 89 mm long, ovate-pyriform with no distinct neck, irregular, lumpy; yellow with large prominent tan lenticels; crisp, juicy, sweet, trace of tartness, distinct aroma; ripe mid-late September in Oregon, 4 weeks after Nijisseiki; stores 25 weeks at 0 C. Tree: large, upright, very early bloom, requires early blooming pollinator such as Ya Li. Cold hardy yet low chilling requirement, about 350-500 hours. -- Brooks and Olmo Registe of Fruit and Nut Varieties.

Hu (1937) reported that Tsu Li is an old and famous variety in the Shantung Province of Northeastern China, and that production is restricted to the Chucheng, Laiyang, and penglai districts. Kubo (1970) stated that Tsu Li was introduced into Japan from Laiyang in 1912 by Tetsuya Onta. -- W.H. Griggs and B.T. Awakiri. 1977. Asian Pear Varieties in California

Description: This plant can be found in northern and northeastern China, eastern Siberia, Manchuria, Korea, Amurland, and Ussuri. It is an old and famous cultivar in Shantung Province of Northeastern China. In the United States, Tse Li receives much attention due to its tendency to be resistant to fire-blight. However, because of its slow growth rate the USDA discouraged its use. The tree is large, vigorous, dense, and moderately productive. The fruit varies in size and shape. It can be found as ovate-pyriform in longitudinal section and circular to angular in transverse section. The tree is self-incompatible and self-unfruitful in most years. It requires cross-pollination for commercial fruit-set, and Ya Li pollen appears to serve this purpose best.

I regard this as the most promising Oriental variety ever introduced into this country. While the variety is good enough to introduce and grow just as it is, it may prove of even greater value for breeding purposes. This variety certainly contains considerable P. ussuriensis blood. It may have derived solely from that species, although it appears to be a hybrid between this and some other species. Judging from this, we should expect it to shoe a high degree of resistance to pear blight, and should prove valuable in breeding new blight resistant varieties. Inoculation experiments have shown that it blights in the young shoots but appears to be very resistant in the older wood. Judging from its parentage, it should also prove valuable in breeding hardy varieties for cold regions. The tree is a vigorous, rather spreading grower. -- F.C. Reimer. 1919. Report of a trip to the Orient to collect and study Oriental pears.

In China this pear is also called 'Su Li' -- Pu Fu Shen.

Pomologist Ma Shu Shang from Northwestern University in Xion provides the description: Dang-shan Su Li (Pyrus bretschneideri) originated from the Dang Shan area of Anhui Province (Dang Mountain Crispy Pear). Trees bloom at the beginning of April...fruit is mature Sept 20. Size is 200-250 grams. Long storage until March-April in caves. Su Li is the most important variety in northwestern China. In 2002 there was 700,000 mu producing 400,000 tons in Shaanxi Province.' -- info from John Wells, Hood River Grower Shipper Association, 11/2003.