Invasive Bradford Pear Tree
- Steve’s Trees and Contracting
- Mar 20, 2024
- 2 min read
The Callery pear, also known as the Bradford pear, is a non-native and HIGHLY invasive species that multiplies quickly and crowds out trees and plants native to Missouri.
The Callery pear became a popular ornamental landscape tree in the 1950s because it was inexpensive, it grew fast, and provided those eye-catching blooms in the spring . But that’s where its benefits end. Different varieties of the tree were planted to close to each other, which resulted in cross pollination and they now take over natural areas. A single wild tree can spread quickly by seed and vegetative means, often forming dense thickets within several years and outcompeting native plants. In forested settings, it leafs out earlier than our native trees, effectively shading out spring wildflowers.
The Callery pear is infamous for its stinky smell, but also has a poor branch structure. The trees don’t fare well in storms, often losing limbs or splitting apart.
The Missouri Department of Conservation encourages homeowners and landscapers to grow native when picking a tree to plant.
We recommend a variety of other small trees such as:
-American plum (Prunus americana)
-Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)
-Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis)
-Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.)
-Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea)
✨✨If you have a Bradford pear tree there is a buyback program in place. If you remove your invasive tree they will give you a FREE non invasive tree to plant in its place!!!!
To be eligible for one free native tree, participants must register and submit a photo of their cut-down Callery pear. One free native tree will be provided to each registered participant at the selected location on the day of the event, April 23, from 3–6 p.m.
For more information on the invasive Callery tree visit https://mdc.mo.gov/sites/default/files/2020-05/Callerypearinvasive.pdf
To book your free tree estimate call Steve at
📞816-988-6617
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