Pome fruits include Apples Malus and Pears Pyrus. The term "pome" is derived from the botanical name of the fruit produced by these trees. Apples have been cultivated for at least 2000 years with their origins tracing back to Eastern Europe and Western Asia. Pears are divided into European and Asian varieties with the later cultivated for at least 3000 years in China. Interestingly, European pear cultivars are not found anywhere in the wild and have resulted from the cross breading of other wild pear species. Pome fruits are an important commercial crop in New York State, which is the second largest producer of apples and fourth largest producer of pears in the United States.

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