Raised by Francis Dana of Roxbury, Massachusetts and named in honor of C.M. Hovey. Introduced about 1854. Added to APS catalog list in 1862. Believed a Seckel seedling. Fruit resembles that of Seckel in size and form. Skin greenish-yellow at maturity, russeted, not blushed. Flesh somewhat granular but buttery and very juicy. Much like Seckel in flavor, equal to Seckel in dessert quality. Keeps longer than Seckel in storage and holds up well after ripening. Less susceptible to core breakdown than Seckel. Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, productive, fairly susceptible to fire blight. -- H. Hartman 1957.Dana Hovey is a delicious little dessert pear, so juicy, sweet, and rich that it is a veritable sweetmeat. It is one of the best pears to succeed Seckel; the fruits come in season about the middle of November and keep from six weeks to two months. The flavor is that of Winter Nelis with a smack of Seckel. The pears are more brightly colored than those of Seckel, and are larger so that the fruits are more attractive. The trees are hardy, vigorous, and thrive on various soils, but are only moderately productive and are somewhat susceptible to blight. Dana Hovey is one of few winter pears with fruits of high quality, for which reason it is very desirable for home use and ought to have value in commercial plantations. Francis Dana, Roxbury, Massachusetts, introduced this pear about 1854 under the name Dana's Hovey in honor of C. M. Hovey, author of The Fruits of America.
Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, rapid-growing, productive ; trunk stocky ; branches reddish-brown, marked by few small lenticels. Leaves 3 1/4 inches long, 2 1/8 inches wide, leathery; apextaper-pointed; margin glandless it with few reddish glands, finely serrate: petiole short, stocky, 1 1/2 inches long, glabrous. Flowers 1 1/2 inches across, in dense clusters, average 8 buds in a cluster. Fruit matures in late October and November, medium in size, 2 1/2 inches long, 2 1/8 inches wide, obovate-obtuse-pyriform, symmetrical, uniform; stem 1/2 inch long, slender; cavity abrupt, shallow, very small, narrow, slightly lipped; calyx partly open. *sini.11; lobes short, narrow, acute; basin shallow, narrow, obtuse, smooth, symmetrical; skin thin, tender, smooth; color golden-yellow, covered with thin russet; dots numerous, small, greenish-russet ; flesh tinged with yellow, granular at the center, tender and melting, juicy, sweet, highly perfumed, juicy aromatic; quality of the best; Core large, closed, abaxile; calyx-tube short, plump, obtuse.