The PA Department of Agriculture added Callery pear, or Pyrus calleryana, commonly called Bradford Pear to a list of noxious weeds – plants that cannot be legally sold or cultivated in the state.
“Banning the sale of an invasive plant is an important tool to stop its spread and is a step we take only after careful consideration of the damage it causes and it’s potential for continued harm to our ecosystem and economy.”
By February 2023, a warning will be issued to nurseries or businesses that are still selling or using invasive species.
PA Department of Agriculture
From February 2024, the agency says it will issue “discontinuation” and “destruction orders” to those who sell or distribute Callery pear trees.
PA Department of Agriculture
The Problem
The Bradford Pear was once heralded as the perfect choice for the traditional American suburban front yard. But all that changed in 2006 when it was discovered in Holland that the tree’s pollen is highly allergenic and can cause respiratory problems. After this discovery, cities across America began banning the pear or restricting its growth.
The popular, non-native, flowering fruit tree naturalizes, spreading from planted landscapes, crowding out other plants, and disrupting native ecosystems. Since it withstands urban living conditions, such as pollution and poor soil, it grows well in cities and suburbs. Bradford Pear occurs throughout the eastern U.S. from New Jersey to Illinois and south to Texas. Arborists, foresters, and natural resources scientists strongly discourage planting Bradford pear trees, even though some tree nurseries continue to sell them.
THE SMELL
Bradford Pears are still a popular landscape tree, and many homeowners are unaware of the invasive nature of these plants. That is until spring comes around and they start to blossom. The smell alone often described as “rotting fish” or “wet dog” will have people running for the air freshener. It only gets worse once fall hits and the fruit start rotting.
Brittle Wood
If you manage to keep the tree long enough to grow to a substantial size, you have to start worrying about the brittle wood of these trees. It seems a mild breeze is enough to knock off branches. Part of this is also due to the branch structure and the aggressive shape it grows into.
Well, that’s all the bad, however, there is one “good” point. There is a tree in NYC that survived the 9/11 attacks and is considered the Survivor Tree.
When tree shopping it’s best to walk right by this and not even consider it for part of your tree planting landscape design. If you live in Pennsylvania, beware of planting the Bradford pear tree. The law is in place to protect both you and your environment.
