Today I begrudgingly bring you some very beautiful flowers. The only reason I’m hesitant is because of the tree that these perfect little white blooms flower from each spring. Can you guess it? If not I’ll give you a couple clues – it’s over planted. Still can’t guess? It’s smells awful in the spring, I’m talking rotting-fish awful. Still can’t guess? It breaks apart easily in storms due to its poor branching structure or for another clue think – great-big-Q-tips…I bet you have a clue. It’s the Bradford pear tree! The builder in our neighborhood saw to it that each and every house has two Bradford pears in the front yard. Why not two Yoshino cherry trees? Or for a native Bradford pear substitute they could have planted two serviceberry trees? If we had the serviceberries we’d also get the benefit of the edible fruit each year (as long as we beat the birds to it). Nope we have smelly, easily broken, too often planted Bradford pears. But at least they look nice for a couple weeks in spring!
Here take a peek:
The blooms are beautiful but emit a foul smell that attracts pollinators – yes it really does!
The branches frequently break in storms due to the convergence of the many branches at the trunk in a ‘V’ shape. Branches in a ‘V’ shape break off easily and take a large chunk of trunk with it. Branches grown at a more 90 degree angle from the tree won’t break off the trunk of the tree as easily and the bark and the tree has a better chance of survival and a nicer appearance after the accident.
And just so I can show you a photo of something in my garden I can be proud of:
They are pretty!
They're pretty. I guess I've never been close enough to one to know that they smell bad. Have you chosen new trees to replace them?
GSS,
I have a dogwood that will replace one of them. I planted a Yoshino cherry a few years ago that isn't in the same spot as one of the Bradfords but I like it as a substitute. I'm waiting for a nice storm to give me a good reason to cut the Bradfords out…
You crack me up everytime I read about your dislike for the Bradford…I cannot stand to look at the lavendar colored Crapes…they make me feel queezy…seriously…
Oh Dave, you're so right. I decorated tables for a tea in New York and used the flowering branches.
Really, some of the women were gagging. Tough lesson to learn.
All garden joys,
Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island
Unsure re: which trees not to plant; but would be happy to see less Chinaberry (Melia azedarach) & Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) seedlings and root sprouts coming from my neighbor's trees!
Chinese Elm… have you ever lived by a Chinese elm? Awful. They aren't even pretty in Spring.
They are pretty but didn't know they smell bad. My brother has 2 in his front yard also. High winds took out his neighbors Bradford Pears.
The Bradford Pear is no longer recommended in our area. However, there are two varieties that are recommended and do much better than the Bradford in storms. They are the Chanticleer Pear and the Trinity Pear, the first one being pyamidical and the second one more spreading.
Both are lovely but still have that smell, just don't sit under it when blooming.
Eileen