Resource Search

For homeowners or landscapers in Michigan looking to plant small to medium flowering trees this spring, consider these alternatives to Callery pear.

See also: Publications - Weed Control for Lawn and Garden for more resources

Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) can be found across most of the eastern U.S. and in a few western states as well. The nonnative tree was brought to the U.S. in 1917 by a USDA employee searching for a blight-resistant species that could be bred with European pear to increase fruit production.

The most common Callery pear cultivar is the Bradford pear. In the last two decades, this near-ubiquitous landscaping tree has been identified as a serious invasive pest. A new publication examines herbicide treatments to control the spread of Callery pear. Lead author J.T. Vogt is a research scientist with the USDA Forest Service.

Provides state, county, point and GIS data. Maps can be downloaded and shared.

See also: Invasive and Problem Plant Control (scroll to Invasive Plants section) for more information to help you identify and control most common invasive plants in Missouri

South Carolina will become only the second state in the United States to ban the nursery sale of Bradford pear trees and any other pear trees grown on the commonly used Pyrus calleryana rootstock. The ban on sales began Oct 1, 2024, which is the annual nursery licensing renewal date in South Carolina. Ohio will become the first state on Jan 1, 2023, after passing regulations banning the sale of the species in 2018 with a 5-year grandfathering period. Additional information about the ban’s impact on homeowners can be found by visiting the Clemson University Home & Garden Information Center.

The additions of Pyrus calleryana — or Callery pear — along with three species of Elaeagnus to the State Plant Pest List met the approval of state agency representatives and the director of Clemson’s Regulatory and Public Service Programs. The clock is now ticking on a grandfathering period of a little more than 3 years for the nursery industry to comply with the new regulations by ceasing sale of these plant species.

See also: Invasive Plant Fact Sheets for plant species (trees, shrubs, vines, herbs and aquatic plants) that have impacted the state's natural lands

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture added Callery pear, or Pyrus calleryana, commonly called Bradford Pear to a list of noxious weeds — plants that cannot be legally sold or cultivated in the state. The popular, non-native, flowering fruit tree naturalizes, spreading from planted landscapes, crowding out other plants and disrupting native ecosystems. The ban on sale and cultivation took effect February 9, 2022 with enforcement phased in over two years.

It is now illegal to sell, grow, or plant Callery pear (also known as Bradford pear) in Ohio because of its invasive qualities and likelihood to cause economic or environmental harm. There is no requirement for the removal of existing plants, but the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry encourages control and removal to benefit native forest ecosystems.

The callery pear (bradford pear) is native is East Asia and was imported to the U.S. in 1908 and first sold commercially in 1961. Callery pear trees forms dense thorny thickets, produces flowers with an offensive odor, and produces large amounts of fruit that litter sidewalks. Additionally, the ‘Bradford’ cultivar is extremely susceptible to damage from storms due to branches having narrow crotch angles; these trees will also split under their own weight after 15-20 years of growth.