North Carolina residents can remove an invasive Bradford pear tree from their property and exchange it for a free native tree at NC Bradford Pear Bounty events this spring in Hayesville (March 21), Asheville (April 25), Hendersonville (April 25), and Burlington (May 9).
Free registration and details for all events can be found online: https://www.treebountync.com/ . Registration will remain open until the event reaches capacity for each location.
Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana) is a medium-sized, deciduous, invasive tree native to China and Taiwan. For years, they were planted in urban areas as ornamental trees. The flowers have an unpleasant, musky scent in spring. The trees have weak branches that often break due to high wind, snow, and ice, making them hazardous in the landscape and relatively short-lived. The Bradford pear now grows in natural areas and disturbs habitats where it spreads rapidly, creating a monoculture and displacing native plants.
“Ornamental varieties of Callery pear might look pretty in the spring, but don’t let them fool you,” said Dr. Kelly Oten, assistant professor and Extension specialist at NC State University. “The best thing we can do is stop planting them and start replacing them with native trees that actually support our environment.”
The first Bradford pear exchange in North Carolina occurred in 2022. Since then, NC Bradford Pear Bounty has hosted 17 events statewide and given away nearly 3,000 trees.
