For many years now I have been expecting to say goodbye (and good riddance) to the callery pear. Why? There are a lot of reasons to dislike something, but this tree takes the cake. I will divulge into the origins of this troublesome tree, cultivars, problems, why it is going away, and what to plant instead. Oh, you will still be able to find it in other states and nurseries for awhile yet. But in Kansas, as with Missouri and several other states, callery pear will be banned from growing, planting, and transporting into.
What is Callery Pear?
The callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) is a species of ornamental fruit trees from China and Vietnam. It was brought over to the United States in 1908 and first planted at the Arnold Arboretum. Soon, from the various trials and seed plantings, it was discovered that callery pear was a fast grower, drought tolerant, and heat tolerant. However, it did have sharp spurs which made it undesirable as a landscape tree.
But then, in 1952, a seedling was discovered without spurs, and which was an ideal selection for landscapes. It was name ‘Bradford’ and then released commercially in 1961. ‘Bradford’ has a bright white flower color in mid spring, grows quickly, and is hardy in all but the colder regions.
What Problems Arose in the Callery Pear?
What many people hardly noticed when the trees were younger, were the problems. As trees aged and matured, a lot of issues showed up. The biggest issue was that the habit of the callery pear is to grow upward, and fast. Therefore, it often creates areas of included bark where two larger branches grow together with no connection points. So, when there are strong winds or weight such as snow or ice, the tree literally splits in half. I have seen so many callery pears break apart like this.
Next was the escape. Callery pear began to escape into the landscape as early as 1964, just 3 years after it was released to the public. However, it was barely noticed until the 1990s, when motorists began calling in reports of the weedy trees along highways outside of urban areas like St. Louis, Nashville, and Washington, D.C. But why did it escape so quickly in the first place?
The ‘Bradford’ pear was a genetic clone, meaning that it was a cutting from one tree, grafted onto a rootstock. The tree top could produce flowers, but it could not crosspollinate itself, therefore no fruit. But, the rootstock it was grafted onto was seedling callery pear, and when the top died but the root did not, the root took off and became the crosspollinator. Viable seeds were then produced and birds, who liked to eat them, carried them far from the source.
Where did Cultivars Come From?
Unlike what many people believe, new cultivars did not come from China. Instead they were genetic mutations of the original ‘Bradford’ or other seedling callery pears. They were selected for better fall color, branching, and disease resistance. However, one of the reasons for using callery pear in the first place was resistance to fireblight, which became a problem in cultivars like ‘Chanticleer’ and ‘Aristocrat’.
Why is it Such a Problem?
Callery pears have no major pest in the United States. This means there is nothing to keep it in check once it escapes the landscape. Deer and goats may browse the leaves, but they rarely kill the plants. There are no insects which can wipe them out. Birds eat the fruit and spread them far and wide. And the seedling mostly have thorn like spurs up and down the stems. They grow quickly and are hard to kill. I girdled a callery pear in my woodlot and it survived enough to produce an extra abundant crop of fruit the next season.
More recently, a selection called ‘Chastity’ has come available in the nursery trade. It is 99.99% seedless. That would be great, except that it is grafted onto rootstocks that are either seedlings or clones of one other seed viable stock tree. If the top dies, then the rootstock still has the potential to produce seeds.
This is why it will be disappearing from nurseries and garden centers in Kansas over the next 3 years.
Regulations Concerning Caller Pear
This spring, the Kansas Department of Agriculture announced a permanent quarantine on Callery Pear trees, which will take effect on January 1, 2027. After that date, callery pears will no longer be permitted to be sold, planted, or moved within the state of Kansas. It does not require the removal of existing trees, but that is strongly encouraged.
What to Plant Instead
The main reasons for growing callery pears were fall color, fast growth, and flower color. While some like the smell of the flowers, I liken it to rotting meat. So what offerings do we have to replace it with? Well, there are several trees with similar fall foliage or flower color. Size comparison and fast growing may be less comparable. But at least these other trees are not invasive throughout the native landscape.
- ‘Autumn Brilliance’ Serviceberry – a smaller tree at 30 feet tall and wide. Serviceberry has white flowers, edible blue-black fruit, and orange-red fall color.
- American Yellowwood -grows 30 to 50 feet tall and 30 feet wide with large panicles of white flowers. Fall foliage is yellow.
- ‘Spring Snow’ Crabapple – has very nice white flower with no fruit to follow. The crown is rounded and it grows 20 to 30 feet tall and wide.
- White Fringetree – is a native tree with fragrant clusters of white flowers in late spring. It has blue-black fruits and yellow fall color. It grows 15-30 feet tall and wide.
- Washington Hawthorn – has bright clusters of white flowers in spring followed by red, edible fruits. Fall color is yellow-orange. Trees grow 15 to 30 feet tall and wide.
Conclusion
The callery pear is doomed in North America. But it will take decades to undo the damage done by the original plantings of this tree. It will take the efforts of many people as well as communities and foresters alike. In the end, I hope for the complete eradication of this detrimental tree species. Maybe we can get rid of tree of heaven too?
Happy planting!
