Callery pear (Bradford pear)

Pyrus calleryana Decne.

Appearance: Bradford pear is a cultivar of Pyrus calleryana. It is a deciduous tree that can grow up to 60 ft. (18 m) in height and 2 ft. (0.6 m) in diameter.
Foliage: The leaves are alternate, simple, 2-3 in. (5.1-7.6 cm) long, petiolate, and shiny with wavy, slightly toothed margins.
Flower: Flowering occurs early in the spring (April to May) before the leaves emerge. The flowers are 1 in. (2.5 cm) wide, showy, malodorous, and white. It is insect pollinated.
Fruit: Fruits are round, 0.5 in. (1.3 cm) in diameter and green to brown in color.
Ecological Threat: Pyrus calleryana 'Bradford', produce sterile fruits because they do not self-pollinate. They have been widely planted throughout the United States since the early 1900s as an ornamental. New cultivars of Pyrus calleryana were bred to reduce the tree's tendency to split in snow or high winds. The Bradford pear cultivar, other P. calleryana cultivars and P. betulifolia or Asian pear, can hybridize and produce fertile fruit. In addition to this, fertile pear varieties are commonly used as the rootstock when grafting. If the grafted crown is damaged the fertile rootstock can them dominate, producing fertile fruit. These factors and others may have contributed to the trees seeding out into natural areas and becoming an invasive problem.

Weed of the Week - USDA Forest Service
Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas - National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Tree(s) Trees in flower
Britt Slattery, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bugwood.org
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Flower(s)
James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
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Fruit(s)
James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
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Tree(s) in flower
James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
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Tree(s) Tree in flower
Dan Tenaglia, Missouriplants.com, Bugwood.org
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Foliage
Chuck Bargeron, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
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Bark
Chuck Bargeron, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
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Fruit(s)
Chuck Bargeron, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
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Seed(s)
Steve Hurst, USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, Bugwood.org
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Infestation
David J. Moorhead, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
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Flower(s) flower petals on ground
David J. Moorhead, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
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Feature(s) tree splitting
David J. Moorhead, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
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Seedling(s)
David J. Moorhead, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
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Tree(s)
David J. Moorhead, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
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