The Red-pear is an attractive and generous tree that provides masses of yellow to orange fruits and small green-yellow flowers. Scolopia, though little known by most gardeners, is a widespread species growing in evergreen forests and grassy slopes from the coast up into the mountains; this ability to cope with a wide range of temperature and light conditions makes it a valuable garden tree. Forest specimens are typically tall and elegant (10 – 35 m), but 3 - 10 m in urban gardens. In very exposed situations, trees are short and compact. Canopy shape varies from rounded to spreading and is always dense with oval-shaped glossy, leathery dark green leaves with serrated margins. Small fragrant green-white flowers are on display from May to August followed by 13 mm diameter fruits from October to January. Fruits hang in dense bunches from branch tips; they can take 3 – 4 months to ripen and are an important food for birds and bush pigs. Mature trees often produce a fluted trunk up to 1.2 m in diameter with an attractive rough, flaky bark – smooth in young trees. Some species carry 40 mm long spines on the branches; others are spine-free. A slow growing tree that does well in frosty gardens.