Never plant Bradford Pear

[Deere Dude]

Bradford Pear are really pretty in springtime, all the white blossoms, except after maybe 20 years cut them down & start over.
Years ago I lined our driveway with them, but this afternoon some wind gusts (40-50 mph?) another tree-sized limb down. We just noticed it so cut 8ft lengths I'll haul off tomorrow. Some missing ones snapped off at the base years ago...so good advice especially for young people.
They're fast growing, pretty & brittle.View attachment 753005View attachment 753006View attachment 753007

I got a dozen of these monsters but I thought they were the Tennessee state tree.
Actually I want to chop all the branches off about ten-fifteen feet up. I can clip them with a pole saw so the trees would look like a lolipop. Then have them start over from a 8' stump.

 

[jaxs]

Fast growing trees are sometimes ok if slow growing/longer lived trees are planted amongest them at the same time. Worse than Brafford Pear are "Fruitless Mulberry" that begin baring fruit after mature and "Cottonless Cottonwood" that begin shedding tons of cotton after mature. It's strange to see how many yards would be treeless were it not for Hackberrys planted by birds.
When i arrived at a newly sold house for some punch-out,the new owner and his son had 2 Live Oak stacked in cords. When I asked why he replied"I'm going to plant nice soft Maples in the place of those ugly things."

 

[oldballs]

I'm beggin to think that every tree that I've ever been around has and is a giant PITA!!!

 

[Sonny580]

po planted 2 of them here,---- after 5 or 6 years the wind snapped 1 off at the ground and last year the ice took 2/3 of the other one down and it looks kinda sick this summer so it will come down later. I never did care for them! I want trees that give me fruit!!!

 

[jfsawatzky]

Here is article on where Bradford and Callery Pear trees are banned ( OH, PA, SC ) or being culled ( NC ) because they are invasive non native plants.

Bounty Offered on Bradford Pear Trees

Through the “Bradford Pear Bounty” program, you could get up to five new native trees in exchange for cutting down the same number of Bradford pears in your yard while supplies last.

news.ncsu.edu

Appreciate your bringing this issue to people's attention

Thank you all… this is a great post for me. Over the next few years I want to clear some fields and plant hazels and other trees. I do not think they have become a problem in Ontario yet but good to avoid a potential problem.

 

[acarr1]

I've heard that Bradfords can cross pollinate with fruit producing pears and make them sterile. They're all over the place here in MS. It's like everyones go-to ornamental tree. That and crepe myrtles. I don't care for those much either.

 

[jaxs]

Many landscapers evidently share your dislike for crepe myrtles acarr1 judging by how many "crepe murders" they commit. Personally I enjoy the dormant stage almost as much as when in full bloom,,,,unless they've been ruined by crepe murder.

 

[marhar]

Bradford Pear are really pretty in springtime, all the white blossoms, except after maybe 20 years cut them down & start over.
Years ago I lined our driveway with them, but this afternoon some wind gusts (40-50 mph?) another tree-sized limb down. We just noticed it so cut 8ft lengths I'll haul off tomorrow. Some missing ones snapped off at the base years ago...so good advice especially for young people.
They're fast growing, pretty & brittle.View attachment 753005View attachment 753006View attachment 753007

I am not a tree hugger: but the farm I grew up on had native or wild plumbs around the sides of the fields. Here is the scientific name Prunus americana. Theses are hardy and have edible fruit. They grow 8 to 10 feet. The biggest drawback is they have runners that will sprout up. I am using them to help with erosion but they look nice and have fruit you can eat.

 

[Surshot]

If you own a tree farm, you figure out real quick some folks should be arrested and jailed, like the sellers of Wisteria, Mimosa, monkey grass, bamboo, and any other Pretty tree or vine. I push them over and dig them up and burn that mess
A lot of the crud has seeds that stay active for many decades. They get very difficult to get rid of.

 

[oldballs]

But but....I thought that I like Mimosa.....maybe....just on someone elses porperty.