Ussurian pear (sometimes listed as Chinese pear) is native to northeast Asia and is the hardiest pear species. Sources of this species were grown in North America by N.E. Hansen (South Dakota) and F.L. Skinner (Manitoba) in the early 1900s. Over the years, hardy seed sources, particularly from the vicinity of Harbin, Manchuria, have been distributed in the northern United States and Canada, and are often referred to as Harbin pear. In 1990, the USDASCS Plant Materials Center, Bismarck, North Dakota, released a hardy cultivar seed strain under the name 'McDermand', particularly for use in shelterbelt, wildlife and recreation plantings. However, no clonal introductions have been made for use in landscape settings. Ussurian pear and Callery pear (Pyrus calleryan Decne.) are reported to be the least susceptible species to fireblight.A superior selection for landscape planting. Characteristics and qualities include a growth rate of 1.28 feet annually over a sixteen year period (1973-89); densely and evenly branched; distinctly oval growth habit becoming globose with age; and clean, bright green, semi-glossy orbicular-ovate to ovate leaves. The thick, leathery-textured leaves display excellent foliage quality throughout the growing season. The superior quality of the scion cultivar is very noticeable when shoots arise below the graft from seedling Ussurian pear rootstocks. The cultivar displays good resistance to fireblight, but it is undoubtedly not immune. White flowers blanket the tree in spring. Trees do not fruit unless a pollinator pear is nearby. This Is advantageous, since the 1.3 inch rounded yellow fruits are not of culinary value. Readily propagated asexually by T-budding, whip or bark grafting. USDA hardiness zone 3. A limited number of plants were available from a northern nursery in spring, 1991.