April 01, 2024

Wear long sleeves, long pants, work gloves, and protective eye wear. Consider using an insect repellant for exposed skin. Bring hand pruners, and loppers if you have them.

April’s Focus Invasive: Callery “Bradford” Pear tree:

Please help us to identify any Callery Pear trees you see in the common areas so we can stop them from overtaking our woodlands.

Native to China and Vietnam, Callery Pears were brought over in the early 1900’s, and in the 1950’s, the Bradford cultivar was developed for use as an ornamental tree in landscapes. Early on they were seen as ‘sterile’. Unfortunately, this ornamental cultivar was able to pollinate in multiple ways, and it produces excess seeds, leading to a superspreading capacity. A single Callery Bradford Pear can spread rapidly by seed and vegetative means, forming a large, dense thicket in just a few years (see photos below.) These thickets crowd out native plants and saplings that die due to lack of sunlight and competition for water and space.

These trees are easy to identify as they flower very early in the spring with white five-petaled flowers in a ball-shaped bundle (photo #1 ). The blooms have an offensive smell of unwashed gym socks.  The tree does not produce pears, but tiny green to brown pear-shaped fruit that is woody in texture (photo#2)

Photo 1

Photo 2

Callery Pears exist not only in common areas, but have been planted on personal property. Because they have become so prolific in spreading their seeds, we encourage residents to consider replacing them with native trees like, Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) which does well in shade or sun, flowers early and the fruit is eaten by bluebirds, scarlet tanagers, woodpeckers, chickadees and others! The VADOF is offering an exchange for Callery Pear, see link below:

 https://dof.virginia.gov/forest-management-health/forest-health/financial-assistance-program/callery-pear-exchange-program/

Note: exchange is on April 20^th, 2024 and you must preregister.  

Example of invasive spread:



Photo #3and #4 show a thicket of Callery Pear trees along Rt. 250. There are hundreds of large and small trees, crowding out native trees and vegetation. Evident too are the invasive vines smothering the trees and shrubs on the roadside.  

Photo 3

Photo 4

In March, our team removed several hundreds of Japanese Honeysuckle, numerous Barberry bushes (which harbor the deer-tick, a carrier of Lyme disease), and 20 multiflora rose bushes.  And we removed a huge Wintercreeper vine from a tree on along the lane leading to the Soccer field. 

Please identify any species that you think might be invasive, especially Callery Pear, in common areas or on personal property, and mark it with tape or drop a pin and notify your Glenmore Invasive Warrior Sector Leader or Liza Moorman. 

Did you know? 

Native plants and trees have a symbiotic relationship with native birds and animals, so saving native habitat contributes to the health of native wildlife.