FWIW, Had no idea about this regarding Bradford Pear Trees

[roundball]

What Stinks? Bradford Pears!

This early hint of Spring is certainly refreshing after what seems like months of cold, damp weather. As the melodies of chorus frogs and the refrains of towhees welcome us back outdoors, many of us are sucker punched by an aggressive invader known to some as the Bradford pear and to others as...

www.ncwildlife.org

 

[nccatfisher]

An the second gen of them are really a PITA literally.

 

[Homebrewale]

There is a Bradford pear tree bounty program again this year.


https://www.treebountync.com/

 

[QuietButDeadly]

I do not know why the writer did not even mention the fact that the root stock on most plants sold as Bradford Pear are not even Bradford Pear root stock but are more hearty and harder to kill than the pear grafted to them. He did state that the stump/root system needed to be killed though.

 

[Lakeview Bear]

I get they are non native but when planted what actual harm do they do? Its written like a college student who just finished their first semester of a Environmental Science degree.

 

[agsnchunt]

I get they are non native but when planted what actual harm do they do?

See OP.

They STANK.

And they litter the ground with blossoms that yield no fruit.

That said, no weed grows like a real pear tree. Good grief they can put on some height.

 

[ncnat]

They also have tire awful thorns when they come up volunteer.

 

[JoeH]

Birds spread their seeds and they’re becoming invasive.

 

[slugoo]

I downed 8 or so at my parents new place. They have no place here.

 

[lasttombstone]

Another thing that no one has mentioned, they will break limbs badly when heavy with snow and ice.

I was at a neighbor's shop a couple of years back and asked him if a groundhog had died under his barn. The place stank to high heaven. He said no, it's them damned bradford pears and pointed across the way. Seems his sister had planted one at one time and birds had spread seeds over by the edge of the woods and there must have been 20 over thiere, all bloomed and smelling something awful.

 

[QuietButDeadly]

They also have tire awful thorns when they come up volunteer.

That is due to the root stock they use to graft the Bradford Pear onto. They are hard to kill and provide no positive contribution to the habitat and they crowd out the desirable native plants.

 

[para4514]

I get they are non native but when planted what actual harm do they do? Its written like a college student who just finished their first semester of a Environmental Science degree.

Wouldn't be a problem if they stayed put, but they don't.

 

[surveyor]

I get they are non native but when planted what actual harm do they do? Its written like a college student who just finished their first semester of a Environmental Science degree.

They grow fast, canopy out, and prevent native species from thriving.

Like the freaking princess tree....

 

[roundball]

Seems like a number of them get planted in the little islands in big parking lots, and as mentioned above, when they get some size it's pretty common to see a big angled limb section split off.

 

[mudflap]

Only in the past 20 years have they evolved to cross pollinate and then spread by seed. Originally they were sterile.

 

[NCST8GUY]

What Stinks? Bradford Pears!

This early hint of Spring is certainly refreshing after what seems like months of cold, damp weather. As the melodies of chorus frogs and the refrains of towhees welcome us back outdoors, many of us are sucker punched by an aggressive invader known to some as the Bradford pear and to others as...

www.ncwildlife.org

One of the guys I work with started out as a tree cutter. He said a full Port o John didn't stink nearly as much as a cut up Bradford Pear tree! And he's spent time around or in both!

 

[UncleFester]

Duke is now offering a replacement program for them if one is cut down.....

 

[bigten]

Bradford Pear Tree=Spawn of the devil! I absolutely hate the dang things. Many were planted in medians and along roadsides in years past. EVERY storm took limbs down into the roads as they are brittle trees. BUT, let a vehicle run off the road and hit one........ the dang things won't budge and the vehicle will wrap around it. Seen many deaths due to that. Thankfully we removed all of em from our county medians years ago. Had to dig the dang things up and haul off. I think I despise them worse than the cussed kudzoo.

 

[Homebrewale]

I get they are non native but when planted what actual harm do they do? Its written like a college student who just finished their first semester of a Environmental Science degree.

Look along the highways this time of year. You can see them blooming along the edge of woods. They are taking over where the native dogwoods and redbuds would grow.

 

[lasttombstone]

The whole country has been taken over by invasives. Another white bloom showing in the woodline these days is the Autumn Olive, some call it. Not sure the correct name but it has white flowers and spreads like crazy. I had to pull 5 up from my place this winter.

 

[para4514]

One of about 40 that did not survive the Triclopyr 3A Smurf Death Juice this year. Only about 400 million left.

 

[Mack in N.C.]

Just another example of why its best to only plant natives.