On Sunday my wife and I went to Easter celebrations on both her side of the family and my side. I overheard conversations at both get-togethers about how pretty all of the blossoming white pear trees are in all the yards and along all the roads and expressways. It came as little surprise that no one involved in either conversation was aware of the fact that they are now officially listed as an invasive species in Kentucky by the Division of Forestry. I was even less surprised that there were people present in both situations who said, "Well I've paid to have one of those planted in my yard."

 

They're a nice, shap-eable ornamental with pretty white blossoms in the early spring - but they are also entirely taking over wild stands of trees and making their way into our forests to choke out the growth of taller growing native hardwoods and pines. In a short amount of time, they are expected to become every bit as invasive as honeysuckle and kudzu.

 

The Curse Of The Bradford Pear

All those white blooming trees you see everywhere... do you think they are pretty? If you knew what they actually represent, you would choke on your morning coffee and gag on your scrambled eggs. All those white blooming trees you see now are an environmental disaster happening right before your very eyes.

I’m talking about every white blooming tree right now, with only the exception of wild plums, which is a short multi-flora tree that seldom reaches over eight feet in height. All the other white flowering trees in today’s environment are an ecological nightmare, getting worse and worse every year and obliterating our wonderful native trees from the rural landscape.

If it’s blooming white right now, it’s a curse. This dictum especially applies to that “charming” Bradford pear your dimwitted landscaper planted in the middle of your front yard. Indeed, lack of smarts is what has led to this disaster. Bradford pear is worse than kudzu, and the ill-conceived progeny of Bradford pear will be cursing our environment for decades or possibly centuries yet to come.

When Bradford pear was introduced as an ornamental in 1964 by the US Department of Agriculture, it was known then that this tree possessed the weakest branch structure in nature. Also, the tree was assumed to be sterile. Bradford pears will seldom last more than 20 years before they bust themselves apart at the seams. That’s actually the good news.

In an attempt to extend the lifespan of this despicable tree, other varieties such as Cleveland Select, etc. were introduced. These trees will live for about 25 years. That’s little consolation for the resulting disasters that happened when these other pear varieties were introduced.

After 25 years the ill effects of the steep v crotch branch structure – which all pears possess - take their inevitable course of action and cause pear limb structures to crack, split and bust. You can’t fool Mother Nature, and people who plant pears will sooner or later regret that choice. Planting pears borders on - if not crosses the line – of negligence.

However, the fact that Bradford pear trees are short lived and dangerous is not the real reason that these trees are such a disaster. The problem is that these trees are in fact not sterile. No two Bradford pears will ever reproduce among themselves, but they do cross pollinate with every other pear tree out there, including the Cleveland Select pear trees that were meant to be the salvation of flowering pears everywhere. The introduction of other pear varieties has compounded the problem to the point where it is almost too late to rectify.

Because of the cross pollination problem, pear trees have now proliferated exponentially across our environment. And, to make matters worse, the evil offspring has reverted to the ancient Chinese Callery pears which form impenetrable thorny thickets that choke out the life out of pines, dogwoods, maples, redbuds, oaks, hickories, etc.

When you see those fields of white flowering trees, please don’t get giddy with excitement over pretty white flowers. What you are looking at are Callery pears destroying nature. Callery pears have 4 inch thorns. They can’t be mowed down. Those thorns will shred John Deere tractor tires. They can only be removed by steel tracked dozers, decreasing the value of agricultural or forest land to the tune of $3,000 per acre.

And, make no mistake about this. That solitary Bradford pear growing in your yard is what caused this problem. Your one tree has spawned hundreds of evil progeny. If you don’t believe that, just take a little ride, and notice all the white flowering trees blooming these days. The closer they are to “ornamental” Bradford pear trees, the thicker they are.

If you want to save the world, cut down your Bradford pear trees. I could not be more serious about this.

For those of you who are regular readers, you have read this before. For you first time readers, welcome to the club. This is my annual “Bashing of the Bradfords” column. I appreciate all the support I have had in this campaign from readers who have sent me pictures of cut down Bradford pears and ground up pear stumps. It does my heart good to know that the message is getting out.

If you ever go visit a plant nursery and want to know if it is a good nursery or not, ask if they sell Bradford pears. All reputable nurseries are well aware of the evils of this tree, and refuse to sell them. Don’t let someone talk you into a Cleveland Select or other pear tree, all varieties of “ornamental” pear trees are equally bad.

Save the world. Eliminate Bradford pear trees. Enjoy your coffee.

Mr. Cat and I were just talking about these yesterday. They are everywhere all of a sudden!

 

That damn honeysuckle is the reason we are contemplating goats on the Compound.

...and they're stinky as well!

 

:ohbrother:

If my Father was still alive, he would be doing what he could to eliminate the Bradford Peer.

 

Back in the 1970's, my Father planted two Bradford Pears in front of the house as an attractive street tree.

 

The grew and looked beautiful, but as they got larger in a few years, after any storm they would split. He was a perfectionist and this would drive him nuts. Finally, after another storm and splitting of his Bradford Pear, he was finished.

 

I heard him come into the house mumbling and the next thing we knew, he had fired up his chain saw, and those rotten, splitting Bradford Pears were finished.

 

The end.

...and they're stinky as well!

 

:ohbrother:

 

What do they smell like to you? I don't think I'm allowed to say what they smell like to me....but they do.

I have been a long time opponent of the Asiatic Bush Honeysuckle and for a long time believed them to be the worst invasive plant / shrub out there.....I believe these Callery's are a bigger issue because of the thorns. They are just about impossible to work around and the only natural predator is Stihl.

 

It's interesting that you see them so prevalent along the highway, but as I look it would appear that the largest concentrations are downwind from major population subdivisions....

 

I am curious if goats would work on these. The thorns are worse than Black Locust

When I was a member of the Beattyville Country Club golf course years ago they planted Bradford Pear trees on and around the course. They grew fast and within a few years were quite large and blooming in the spring. But as time went on it became obvious that storms and high winds were their worst enemy. In a few years most of them had been destroyed by these storms. They have an extremely weak trunk and limb structure. I think what was left of them were eventually cut down and replaced with pine trees.

They certainly are prevalent.

 

Right now they are serving to remind me that we are having an early spring and I'm missing prime time fishing down south, and won't be there for another couple of weeks.

They certainly are prevalent.

 

Right now they are serving to remind me that we are having an early spring and I'm missing prime time fishing down south, and won't be there for another couple of weeks.

AAAAAAAMMMMMMMENNNN

I have seen those doggone things split and do some damage to homes. They smell awful as well.

The vast majority of native trees don't leaf out until the spring winds have subsided. Not so with Bradford pears. Same thing in the fall. They keep their leaves much too long, which means the limbs and branches are more prone to splitting. Mall developers love them, but they are indeed an invasive species.

I have seen those doggone things split and do some damage to homes. They smell awful as well.

 

Granted, this was after a freezing rain, but this tree also split during the summer when it got too heavy.

 

Have 2 in my front year...decent sized now, wish I has dug them up when I first moved in 12 years ago and they were small. I don't like them. Plus the fact that they stink and one of them is right in front of my front living room window. When the wind blows just right in the spring time with the windows open, smells like a porn set working overtime.:puke:

:laugh:

Have 2 in my front year...decent sized now, wish I has dug them up when I first moved in 12 years ago and they were small. I don't like them. Plus the fact that they stink and one of them is right in front of my front living room window. When the wind blows just right in the spring time with the windows open, smells like a porn set working overtime.:puke:

@lawildcat......I believe you may have gotten the answer to your earlier question.

@BigVMan23.....just curious, you been on a lot of sets ?