This ornamental pear was introduced in 1981 by W.L. Ackerman. It is named for the nation's capital. The tree is thornless, with a narrow columnar form, making it more suitable than Bradford for some urban plantings. Introduction from the U.S. National Arboretum (Washington D.C.) that is more upright than 'Whitehouse' and can be substituted for Lombardy Poplar; its leaves turn coppery in fall; see HortScience 16:799-800 (1981); early reports indicated it was a good selection; leaves are a lustrous dark green, show moderate to good fireblight resistance, grew 32 feet high by 8 feet wide after 15 years, possibly a good choice for narrow restricted growing areas; evaluations in 1988 and 1989 reported tremendous fireblight susceptibility, in fact, so great that nurserymen are removing it from the fields in southern nurseries; when at its best, a respectable columnar form, particularly in foliage; pretty ragged in winter. -- M. Dirr, Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, revised 1998.