Callery Pear: Accurate Identification

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- The invasive Callery pear native to Asia was brought into the United States in 1918 as rootstock for domesticated pears.

The Callery pear gained popularity in landscaping applications because of its small size and multi-season visual interest.

Unfortunately and despite intended uses the trees have become highly competitive invasive plants.

You may also know this tree as Bradford pear, a named cultivar widely planted as a street and ornamental tree starting in the 1960s.

Yet Callery pear branches grow at steep upright angles with weak support, often breaking due to heavy snow or high winds.

Trees rarely last more than 25 years or so, making it an undesirable tree even for its intended landscaping purpose.

Although the tree was initially bred to be sterile, cross pollination between cultivars has resulted in viable seed.

Pennsylvania is near the northern most edge of Callery pear's invasion front.

The species is well-established as an invader throughout the South and Midwest.

Though tolerant of partial shade Callery pear prefers full sun and often dominates areas in old fields, head rows, along roadsides and in forest edges where it displaces native species.

Callery pear is a small tree rarely reaching more than 40 feet tall or more than 12 inches in stem diameter.

The leaves are thick and waxy and arranged alternately.

They have a rounded or teardrop shape and measure approximately three inches across.

The leaf edge or margin is finely toothed and has a distinct ripple or wave.

Bark on young limbs is grayish brown and smooth.

As the tree grows larger the bark becomes deeply fissured or scaly.

Though the tree was initially bred to be thornless, naturalized individuals often exhibit stout, sturdy thorns.

Blossoms appear on this tree in early spring, infamous for their strong rancid odor.

The white five pedaled flowers are held together in a ball shaped bundle with each flower about three quarters of an inch across.

Later in the season tiny hard pears, each about a half inch in diameter form in these same clusters.

The fruit is green to brown in color and flecked with pale dots.

The abundance of fruit produced by the species is readily moved by a wildlife contributing to its spread.

Typically, wild populations are found close to a seed source as the fruit is large and not highly mobile on its own.

Callery pear also spreads vegetatively, sending new shoots up through its shallow root system as shown here.

Though tolerant of partial shade, Callery pear prefers full sun and is often found along roadsides, in old fields and head rows and along forest edges.

The first step to controlling this invasive tree is learning how to identify it.

Let's review.

To identify Callery pear look for a small tree with alternately arranged teardrop shape rippled leaves with finely toothed margins.

The bark is gray brown and becomes scaly with age.

White flowers in early spring form and in bundles, have a rancid odor followed by the appearance of clusters of hard fruits.

Identification is the first step to invasive plant control.

Now that you can properly identify Callery pear consider taking control measures where you find it.