Bradford pear: Much more to dislike than the smell
Fish. Urine. Vomit. That’s how people describe the scent of the Bradford pear tree when it blooms in the spring, often along Utah’s urban streets. The smell of the Bradford pear tree is causing some states to ban the species and uproot trees in Utah. The tree, which was developed from Callery pears, was deemed a nuisance due to its strong resistance to drought and fire blight. However, Mike Lorenc, lead horticulturist at Conservation Garden Park in West Jordan, stated that the species should not be planted in Utah due to several reasons such as its foul-smelling flowers and tendency to attract flies. He suggested that instead of planting a Bradford, a spring flurry serviceberry. Some states have banned the sale of Bradford pears and listed the Callery pear as a pest that threatens native species.
Publié : il y a 4 semaines par Jonathon Sharp and Jonathan May dans
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Fish. Urine. Vomit. That’s how people describe the scent of the Bradford pear tree when it blooms in the spring, often along Utah’s urban streets.
With its billowy white flowers, the Bradford pear is pretty, at least for a few weeks. But some states have moved to ban the species and uproot the trees — and it’s not due to their sickening smell.
“There’s a lot to dislike about this tree,” said Mike Lorenc, lead horticulturist at Conservation Garden Park in West Jordan. He added: “This is one of the trees I think we should never plant in Utah.”
The Bradford and a number of its ornamental cousins were developed from Callery pears, which were brought to the United States in the early 1900s, hailed as being resistant to drought and fire blight, then a scourge to orchards.
Around the 1960s, the Bradford pear became popular as a landscaping piece, as it’s bug-resistant and grows quickly in various soils. In Utah, they’re a common sight along park strips, Lorenc said.
The tree’s hardy nature is part of the reason some states, mostly out east, have banned the sale of Bradford pears and have listed the Callery pear as a pest that threatens native species. Some states, like North Carolina, will give landowners native trees if they show evidence they’ve cut down a Callery.
While out-of-control Callery pears don’t appear to be a ban-worthy problem in Utah’s high desert landscape, Lorenc said there are several reasons why this species shouldn’t be in the Beehive State.
For starters, the Bradford pear doesn’t attract pollinators like bees. Instead, its foul-smelling flowers bring in flies. And because the tree’s leaves are waxy and tough, bugs can’t eat them, meaning few birds visit the Bradford’s branches.
Homeowners should shy away from them for another reason: they are prone to breaking in storms. As Lorenc explained, their weak-wooded nature and branch structures mean their branches snap easily or they get blown over in windstorms.
In Lehi, the city put Bradford pears on an unacceptable street tree list, and they aren’t allowed to be installed on park strips. ABC4 reached out to various state departments concerning restrictions on the tree, but the station didn’t immediately hear back.
Instead of planting a Bradford, Utah homeowners should try a spring flurry serviceberry, Lorenc said. The serviceberry’s flowers are also white, and they attract birds. They also don’t smell like fish.