Question: Dear Master Gardeners, can you give me more information on Bradford pears? I have some that have come up in my yard.
Answer: Yes, and when you have finished reading this article you may want to go out and eradicate those trees! Bradford pear (Pyrus Calleryana “Bradford”) is a spring flowering tree. It was introduced in the early 60’s by the Department of Agriculture. They are native to China, Taiwan, Japan and Vietnam. These trees were all the rage in the 60’s and 70’s as the go to landscaping tree to plant.
The unforeseen future of this invasive obnoxious tree is now very apparent. The blooms are white and one of the first trees to bloom in the spring. The smell is not pleasant as some report it smells like fish. The fruit is not suitable for human consumption, but birds do eat them and therefore drop seeds that help the tree to spread. These trees can grow 30 to 50 feet in height and have 20 to 30 feet in width. It grows relatively fast at a rate of 12 to 15 feet increase in an 8 to 10 year period. With this type of growth it also has a shorter life span of 15 to 25 years.
They tend to grow upright at angles that produce weak crotches that break easy with age, wind, and ice. They can be very thorny , which can puncture tires, especially lawnmower tires! When a ‘Bradford Pear’ cross pollinates with other trees, it reverts back to the invasive species of Callery Pear. Its best to plant alternate native flowering trees such as Eastern Redbud, Flowering Dogwood, or American Plum to name a few, in the home landscape. This tree is very hardy and can survive low water and bad soil. But, one of the diseases that it is susceptible to is fire blight and can be a host to spread this detrimental disease to other fruit crops such as apple, pear, loquat, and other rosaceous ornamental plants.
Fire blight is a bacterium (Erwinia Amylovora). Several states have now banned the Bradford pear tree due to the invasiveness of native trees and problems associated with them. Ohio, Pennsylvania and now recently starting October 1st 2024 South Carolina will ban these trees, Legislation has been introduced both in Kansas and Missouri on bans. Banning means no sale, propagation and planting of these trees both commercially and in home landscapes. These trees are listed in the TN Invasive Plant Councils “Invasive Plants of TN list. These trees can be killed by cutting them down and treating the stump with an herbicide to prevent re-sprouting. So, with all the BAD that has come from having this tree, it’s a GOOD thing to eradicate it from the home landscape. Thank you for your question. Happy Gardening!
Coming soon, the Rhea County Master Gardeners have placed a “feed trough” flower container in front of the UT Extension Office. Look for it to be filled with beautiful flowers!
Send questions to Rheacomg@gmail.com or write to Rhea County Extension Office, c/o Master Gardeners, 125 Court Street, Suite 3, Dayton TN, 37321.
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