Flowering Pear 'Bradford' (Pyrus calleryana 'Bradford')

Flowering Pear 'Bradford' – Popular but Problematic Street Tree

Pyrus calleryana 'Bradford', the Bradford Pear, is a widely planted cultivar of Callery Pear, known for its symmetrical, pyramidal shape, profuse white spring flowers, and glossy green leaves that turn reddish-purple in fall. However, it has weak branch angles leading to splitting, a short lifespan, and is highly invasive in many areas due to cross-pollination with other pears producing thorny, fruit-bearing thickets. Many municipalities now discourage or ban its planting.

Taxonomic Details