Bradford Pear Trees Are Banned in a Few States. More Are Looking to Replace, Eradicate Them.
2nd April 2024
The Bradford pear tree, with its fluffy white early-spring blossoms, is a looker. Even the tree’s putrid aroma emitted at full-bloom hasn’t kept it from becoming a go-to ornamental option for developers and landscapers for decades.
But the tree is now planted smack in the dab of a growing problem across the U.S.: It’s contributing to the spread of related invasive trees that are taking over some urban green spaces and pastureland and encroaching on forests.
“It’s really easy to just drive down the road and see how much it is spreading,” Lori Chamberlin, forest health program manager for the Virginia Department of Forestry, told USA TODAY. “It really does well along disturbed areas so along roadsides, along fields and along forest edges. In some cases we are seeing it actually invade forests. It’s displacing native tree species and preventing native trees from growing.”