Flowering Pear, Callery Pear 'Bradford'

I actually love this tree. Seems like the main reason people hate it is because it is overused and breaks up easily. I used to live in Il...Read Morelinois and they indeed were planted EVERYWHERE and I witnessed a lot of carnage between winds and ice storms.

However, moving back to Northern Florida, I became aware that they can grow here as well. N. FL is neither tropical nor fully a textbook northern climate. It is a kind of in-between zone where some very hardy subtropical trees/palms and northern trees/plants can grow together. Many of these more northern trees, such as your typical flowering cherry tree that would grow flawlessly and be gorgeous in the spring in Illinois, get confused in the mild winters. They tend to sparsely bloom as early as January or even December! Bradford, however, is smart. More than not, it is able to wait until around March to have a full bloom-out with a snow-white filled canopy. Also, the tree is not planted as much ad-naseum here as up north, which makes it more bearable.

As for it breaking up easily. Yes, it happens, but I have also noticed old specimens that do fine. Some of these older trees were pruned so that they weren't humongous, and it really helps. I have seen some out in exposed locations to wind, and they go through big windstorms just fine. I also have heard that if you prune carefully when they are young, the damaging branching structure can be alleviated. Also, individual tree vary, as I've seen some that haven't been pruned and they pull through windstorms fine: some have a better branching pattern than others. And of course, not every single type of tree species in the world is 100% strong: so for those weaker trees, just planting it in a more isolated spot is always smart.

Again, this is a GORGEOUS tree that has to-die-for fall colors (even in Florida), breathtaking powder white blooms that cover the entire canopy, rich, glossy green leaves through the summer, and a very attractive shape to the canopy. When I have a chance I may find one to put in my yard.

We moved into a new house in 1997 - the back yard was totally bare except for grass. We had noticed the Bradford pears growing around th...Read Moree town and thought they would look pretty in the back. We bought two which grew quickly but about 7 or 8 years later one developed brown leaves overnight on one branch. Within a week the entire tree had only brown leaves. We called in a tree "specialist" who poked around at the bark and roots and told us he had no idea what was wrong but would cut it down for $300. We cut it down ourselves hoping whatever disease it had wouldn't spread to the other one. A couple of years later we had a bad storm and the other tree split down the middle and destroyed our patio furniture, missing the windows by less than an inch. We had it cut down and the stump ground down. But for 4 or 5 years we kept getting many baby Bradford pear tree growing up from the roots. We removed these. Meanwhile most of the other Bradfords in the subdivision suffered similar fates, breaking up in storms. Some people cut them back severely to keep them alive but then they were ugly. We finally moved to a new house with woods in the back and this year I found some wild pear trees back there. They will be removed as they are invasive and are there because of the Bradfords. I can't stress how awful these trees are. And they smell horrible when they flower.

I concluded that this tree is an inferior ornamental long before I found out that it's invasive.

The lifespan of this cult...Read Moreivar is typically 10-15 years, with luck perhaps 20. (Dirr) I can't count the number of 'Bradford' pears I've seen split and disintegrate before reaching maturity, because the tree's architecture can't support its own weight, especially in windy, snowy, or icy weather.

The flowers are pretty and very early, but they have a powerful pervasive stink.

The foliage is attractive and rarely troubled by disease. Fall color is generally good. But these merits don't begin to make up for the short lifespan.

This tree is tremendously overplanted. I find it has a plastic, mass-produced quality. Given the variety of beautiful flowering trees that are available, why not choose something with more character and a longer life?

'Bradford' is self-sterile, but it produces copious viable seeds (bird-dispersed) when it can cross-pollinate with another cultivar, or with root suckers when it's grafted, as it almost always is. The offspring are usually spiny and have become destructive of natural habitat in the eastern US, according to the US National Park Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service:

http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/pyca.htm
http://www.invasive.org/eastern/midatlantic/pyca.html

This species has naturalized from New York to Michigan, Kansas and Texas, and also in Utah and California.

My husband planted three Bradford pears several years before we were married and I moved in, he said, to provide quick shade in front of ...Read Morethe house. On a positive note, they are pretty in our Houston fall, which is late November/early December, with deep russet leaves. They are also pretty when they first flower in spring, the birds love to perch in them throughout the year.

Several years ago I noticed fire blight developing in all three trees. I tried sanitation pruning, but the bacterial infection soon returned. After reading all the negative information about the weak wood of the trees, etc., I've been secretly hoping the fire blight and recurrent Texas drought will do them in. One is about 25-30%, and the other two are not far behind.

Mine do NOT have thorns, nor do they bear fruit, but now that I read of the tree's invasive tendencies and proclivity towards mutation, I will investigate some sprouts I've seen pop up that do bear thorns. OUCH!

While they look nice in the spring, the blooms smell awful. The trunk is weak and prone to major breakage during wind storms. My wife ...Read Moreand I call them "snap-off trees" because intentionally planted (decorative) trees snap-off or split so often, leaving homes and offices with large, obvious gaps in their manicured landscape.

The wild, mongrel escapees are not so vulnerable. This tree is an aggressive invader, it is the kudzu (or fire ant) of the tree world and rapidly displaces native trees. The thorns are insidious, having made several holes in both me and my tires.

This tree should be destroyed on sight. Tips on most effective means: http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/control-tre... . Please realize that I am a tree-lover, but these things are a real threat...

Assuming I have the correct Bradfort Pear that everyone is talking about here, I have to say I don't understand all the negative comments...Read More. This is an absolutely beautiful tree. It does get little white flowers on it at the begining of the growing season, but not so many that it is very messy. Slow to grow, but as it does, it is still a beautiful tree. Dark green leaves fill the branches and create a wonderful shade. In the fall, the leaves turn a rusty brown, yellow, and red. Absolutely beautiful. It does drop all the leaves for a few months here in the deserts of Arizona. Well worth cleaning up and waiting for the tree to start growing new leaves. Only from mid December to mid March is it bare. I LOVE this tree. No thorns and I don't have any problem with envasive behavior at all. It is planted just a few feet from a block wall and the roots have not caused any problem there either. Honestly, I don't see any of the negative commets about this tree with the Bradford Trees I have.

I feel strongly enough about this noxious invasive species that I will add to the already overwhelming negative responses.
This i...Read Mores not simply a weed. It is incredibly noxious, a worthless plant that is spreading rapidly, taking over native plants and landscapes.
If it made an edible fruit things might be different. If it had useful wood things might be different. But it produces a flower for a short while, and then copious quantities of fruit and seeds which are then spread everywhere. I shudder to think of the cost we are going to have to pay to control something that was willfully spread and propagated for questionable vanity.
I can think of two redeeming factors: it isn't poisonous...and at least something eats the fruits - birds and raccoons.

I also hate this tree. The wood is weak and it can blow over in strong winds. I hate the fact that it can cross pollinate with other pe...Read Morears. I also wish it could be infected with something that would kill all of them and not hurt anything else.

Pyrus calleryana 'Bradford' (inlcuding cultivars and hybrids of this species):

I passionately hate this tree and all culti...Read Morevars of it. Very many better options exist. This tree is the progenitor of malice and becomes a weed. I have seen saplings/trees grow along fencerows, under power lines, at the base of gutters, in wasted areas, old fields, and at the edge of woods (grows as pioneer species), or wherever birds congregate. If someone could work on a biocontrol method for controlling/killing this tree (i.e. a devastating fungus, bacterium, or pest) while at the same time not affecting any other plants, I think they would be brilliant! Anyhow...

In spring, flowering brings the strong fragrance reminiscent of one stepping in dog faeces. But the overall tree's appearance when flowering, doesn't look too bad.

Tree architecture looks like a lolipop stuck in the ground (globe on a stick appearance). Unnatural and looks completely over-engineered.

In autumn, fall color is not bad. In fact, it is reliably red. Then come the dreaded European starlings (another introduced invasive species) which devour the fruits.

Poor branching structure makes susceptible to breaking in ice, storms, heavy rain, snow, a sudden breeze (weather need not be severe), and also makes this tree a liability. I have seen half-sides of this tree in various situations just sheer off during nice weather! A sudden change in wind direction, and a 10-15 year old tree is ruined.

This tree is essentially useless, has no place in landscaping, and should be listed as a federally noxious weed. The progenies of Pyrus calleryana (Bradford pear and other cultivars) symbolize a lack of creativity at all levels. It represents cheap substitution where long-term investment in the future of beautification does not exist. Think of the number of trees someone can purchase for the cost of having a Bradford pear tree removed after it collapses during a storm?
Complete waste of a tree - DON'T plant! Convince as many people as possible to not plant this!

Why do they still sell these in the stores?

There are reported issues with invasive behavior in Harris county.

...Read More/> This plant is a USDA "weed of the week".

I am going to have to tear out the four I planted... they are pretty in the fall I must say.

Please, no. Just no.

The original 'Bradford' WAS sterile and didn't reproduce from seed. Pretty flowers, great fall colo...Read Morer--if weak wooded and short-lived--a fair street tree in the short run.

More recent versions of this cultivar, along with other cultivars of Pyrus calleryana, are fully interfertile. This plant is now a major pest in many areas of the U.S., producing thorny thickets that crowd out native vegetation and produce unsuitable habitat for native birds and mammals. They're not all resistant to fire blight anymore, either.

Definitely on the DO NOT PLANT list!

I can't plant trees here at the apartment building where I live, but I have certainly admired them here in town (Benton, Tennessee - sout...Read Moreheast corner of state). There is such a variety to the leaves, various colors, various patterns of variegation. They bloom in Spring, but a lot of trees have white blooms in the Spring, but they are one of the most beautiful trees around here in Autumn.

This tree's drawbacks concerning weak branches are readily acknowledged - it shouldn't be grown as a large or even medium tree. But gard...Read Moreeners do have some options besides getting rid of it. A young tree can be kept small with judicious pruning right after its blooming period. An older tree can be cut down to the ground, and re-grown as a multi-stemmed shrub.

I have to say I hate this tree.. The thorns hurt like heck if you don't know about them. I had one stick in the top of my head while mowi...Read Moreng.. it was not fun. I have since trimmed the lower branches. The fruit grows slowly.. haven't experienced a bunch faling from the tree, but I guess I will at some point. They are nice as far as the shape and overall look of the tree, but if they are short rooted, can't eat the pears, and they "bite" you, doesn't make much sense to have them around.

Spent 4 hours with a chainsaw cleaning up my neighbor's bradford pear... a MILD windstorm blew it onto a fence. My mother thinks they're...Read More pretty. Truth is, they all look the same, (no character), and are structurally unsound... nothing pretty about that.
A bunch of branches emerging from the same point that collects water, rots, and splits. I've seen driveways lined with the durn things. An inevitable disaster. At least cities have stopped planting them.

"N/A: plant does not set seed, flowers are sterile, or plants will not come true from seed"

HAH!!

My next-...Read Moredoor neighbor had some old ones that sometimes bloomed late enough not to get hit by a late freeze, and they would set fruit. There was a whole row of these lollipops across the front of their property, but now they are down to shreds after the ice storm this winter.

These alien pears DO spread by seed because I now have them sprouting as weeds in gardening beds all over my yard. Some of the young trees have thorns at the tips of the branches. While they don't breed true, they DO breed, and birds spread the seeds.

After trying to pull these things up, or clipping them at ground level just to see them re-sprout, I now HATE this tree. Not as much as I hate Ailanthus altissima, the tree from Hell, but I truly DO hate this tree. They do not belong here. Plant something else, like Serviceberry or Redbud. Both of those bloom early, and they are native.

Around here people plant this tree for its beautiful shape and flowers, but that is about all that is good about it.

If yo...Read Moreu get a bad storm, it is the first tree to come out of the ground because of its shallow root system and the branches are very weak because of its rapid growth.

The flowers on this tree have a horrible scent that is used to attract tiny fruit type flies that you can hardly notice which pollinate the flowers. The scent is overwhelming when they are planted in groups.

This is what I call a "junk tree". Way overplanted, little character, weak wooded, structurally unsound, short-lived. Not worth the bloss...Read Moreoms that last for a whole week -whoopee.

i have 3 of these trees that were planted by previous owners, mine definately are not fruitless and yeild a hundred pears a year each, wh...Read Moreile the pears are almost edible - they are not. So they just attract insects, and are a pain to clean up in fall.
The trees grow out of control and are very hard to prune to get them looking nice -especially if not cared for in the past. On top of it the branches grow long and once weighed down by the tons of pears it produces- the look terrible and hang to almost reach the ground. So far i have not had any break but thats only because i cut the ugly thing back so much.
And yes i agree that although they look nice for a whole week - the flowers are pungent smelling.
Most nursuries sell these trees as the cheapest tree availble at 15-20 bucks- theres a reason for it.

I have never liked Bradford pears, but my disgust with them has quickly increased. The fields surrounding my house are full of seedlings...Read More and I have encountered too many pears that have split and people "clean up" and leave after an ice storm. The gaping holes left in trunks from broken leaders are "oh so attractive."

My mother has a 16+ year old one planted right beside her house. Amazingly it has never broken apart, which I think can be attributed to the shelter the tree receives from the house. Two years ago it developed a severe infection of fire blight. Since then, I have noticed more and more Bradfords around the upstate of South Carolina developing infections. Bradfords are supposedly resistant to fire blight, but the infection must have mutated slightly in this area (I am certain these are Bradfords, not Aristocrats).

The fire blight was bad enough, but now our area Bradford pears seem to be absolutely covered in cedar apple rust. My mother's beloved tree is one that is declining quickly. Many more are sure to follow. The more I look around, the more I see. I would love to replant another tree for my mother - she loves crabapples. Unfortunately pretty much anything in that family is very susceptible to both probelms. Looks like we'll be replanting with a deciduous magnolia or Japanese maple!

We planted two 'Bradfords' on each side of the house. I was a newb and planted a butterfly garden around it.

One year the ...Read Moretrees seem to have been infected by a blight and one died and the one in my butterfly garden has barely been holding on ever since.

The top portion of it died so I had to chop off the top, which makes it less than attractive and it keeps dropping it's branches, usually a bunch all at the same time.

I haven't had a problem, yet, with troublesome volunteers. I don't really notice a scent but I'm not happy with the droves of flying insects it draws in the spring but I supposed any flowers will do that at that time of the year.

After I dig up and move my butterfly garden, I'm planning on leaving it. As long as it's still alive I don't really mind it where it is.

Said to only live 25-30 years!!!!

As others have stated, this tree is way overplanted. It's also very brittle. It takes not much wet snow to shed decent sized limbs or spl...Read Moreitting. Do no park your car under them when the fruit ripens. They splatter when they land and can ruin your paint job.

While many people think of this tree as being fruitless,it does form small fruit that sometimes grows into trees where you dont want them...Read More. The wild offspring they create are not like the parent tree. They are severely malformed and have thorns about an inch long that really hurt. This tree is somewhat attractive but is very overplanted to the point to where i'm tired of seeing them.

I realize that this tree has a few flaws, but, I remain mesmerized by its intoxicating beauty.

In Spring when covered in t...Read Moreiny white flowers, it is an almost magical sight; I cannot help but feel cheerful in its presence. The show continues as the ground becomes blanketed with the "snow-like" confetti of fallen petals.

In Zone 8b, coastal SC where most foliage turns a dull grey brown in Fall, this tree knows few equals. It boasts leaves of lemon yellow, primary orange, fire engine red, and dark burgandy often all at the same time and even mixed with some lime green. In an area awash with dull shades of grey-brown, it is an awesome site. Even the brilliant shower of fallen leaves is beautiful beneath this colorful tree.

I have seen more of these trees uprooted by the slightest bit of wind than I care to count. The shallow roots and heavy foliage load make...Read More them a prime candidate for disaster.

They hold their leaves into December here in West KY, and sometimes a snowstorm will catch them, breaking the limbs and ruining the shape.

As Terry stated, the beautiful Spring blooms stink to high Heaven...my neighbor has 10 of these things and we live downwind.....ugggg! They also bloom so early here that oft-times a freeze gets them before they get really pretty...the odor is still there though.

I'm not much on these 'lollipop shaped' trees...looks like a kiddie drawing....I'll plant something else.

When I caught my first whiff of a "Bradford Pear" in full bloom, I knew I would not be a huge fan (the smell is offputting, to say the le...Read Moreast.) When I realized how weak-wooded and short-lived these trees are, my view of them dimmed further.

Other trees such as Amelanchier spp. (aka "Serviceberry") provide as much or more year-round interest, and are not as apt to splinter like a toothpick in a normal spring storm.

This is a beautiful flowering tree for early spring its covered in white blooms. But also makes a pretty fall show the green leaves turn ...Read Moreto red in the fall and stay longer than most trees. These trees usually have to be replaced as they get older the limbs break in snow and storms.The fruit on this tree are not edible and can be a nuisance to keep cleaned up out of your yard.