23-04-2025
Residents advised not to plant more Bradford pear trees
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — While the Callery pear tree (also known as the Bradford pear tree) may look and smell nice, local experts are encouraging residents to not plant this invasive tree.
'The problem with Bradford pears, it's way overused,' said Gene Maffit with the South Sioux City Parks & Recreation Department. 'It's a nice tree, but it's way overused and it is susceptible to diseases just like most trees are. But when you plant a tree that's over-planted like the ash tree or the palm tree was back in the seventies, when you get a disease for those trees, it wipes them all out.'
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The Bradford pear tree is considered an invasive species due to the fact that they reduce biodiversity and cause other kinds of ecological damage across the entire country, even making it illegal to own in some states. Lindsay Meylor with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach says it used to be a popular tree to plant back in the day, but it quickly got out of hand.
'20 years ago, it was a big push to plant them because they're so pretty and they flower nice,' Meylor said. 'But now they've just become so invasive that they are out-competing the other native species, especially in woodland areas. They make it hard for the natives to thrive, and because they produce such good fruiting bodies that are carried by those birds and other pollinators, they spread quicker, more quickly than we thought they would.'
Callery pear trees were once thought to be sterile, but only if planted far away from other Callery pear trees.
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Meylor wants residents to know that there are plenty of good choices if you're interested in planting a tree.
'Good options would be anything that flowers,' Meylor said. 'If you're looking to replace that flowering tree, dwarf crab apples, service berries, wild plums of red buds are a good option. They're more suitable for this area.'
For more advice on native trees that will suit your property, reach out to your local Iowa State University Extension and Outreach office.
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