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sweetpea82_gw

My Bradford Pear Nightmare

sweetpea82
17 years ago

Hello everyone,

I have a HUGE Bradford Pear (planted too close by previous owners) next to my front porch which is slowly splitting itself right down the middle. I am so sad. Losing the evil BP will change so much about our house. The shade provided by this awful tree is what makes both of our front porches so wonderfully cool in the summer-we practically live on our front porch! Does anyone a have suggestion for replacement? I would love something that provides shade (obviously), fast-growing would be a plus but I know I am asking for a lot here. ANY advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Katie

Comments (15)

  • eldo1960
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Bradford pears should not be on the market. The extreme branching angle causes them all to split as you describe after 6-8 years.
    Aristocrat pear is the recommended replacement, if you want another ornamental pear.
    Other suggestions would depend on the space available for a mature tree.
    It is a hard and fast rule that fast-growing trees have short lives and often disease problems. A quality tree is the only way to go.
    Your county agent should be able to suggest a tree for your landscape. You just haven't given enough info. for an intelligent suggestion, and many of us live thousands of miles from North Carolina anyway.

  • windeaux
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    When I purchased my present home, I took preemptive strikes on all 7 Bradfords growing on the property because I knew what was sure to come. I replaced them with three different varieties of flowering trees: Redbud 'Texas White', Japanese Flowering Apricot (Prunus mume), and the wonderful Chinese fringe tree (Chionanthus retusus).

    I'm very impressed with the Texas redbud (moderate to fast growth rate). Its leaves are glossy, have much more substance than the common redbud, & don't get ratty-looking during the heat of summer. In bloom, the white variety is spectacular!

    The flowering apricot grows rapidly (not as fast as Bradford), & flowers VERY early. Neither the redbud nor the apricot is likely to be around 30 yrs from now, but they're well worth growing anyway & they work well as small/medium size shade trees. If conditions are right, the apricot can produce small fruit (inedible) so it might not be a great choice to plant near a porch.

    The link below suggests two trees that I've come to admire altho I don't grow them myself -- Chinese pistache and Zelkova. You wouldn't go wrong with either of them.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Bradford Pear Alternatives

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Do you live in Crape myrtle country? If so, that's something to think about, since you haven't specified that you'd prefer a native tree.

  • mamcc
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I would suggest a crape myrtle as well. The blooms are gorgeous. but do your homework as there are many varieties and not all are equal. The deeper pinks and reds have much nicer flowers than the white. Some varieties bloom for up to 2 months. They also grow quite quickly. If you like the look of peeling bark in the winter - there are some varieties that have this also.

  • Iris GW
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I would not suggest any variety of ornamental pear as they all just contribute to the spread of this tree into the natural areas of the southeast ('Aristocrat' can pollinate 'Bradford', turning a sterile tree into a fertile one).

    Not sure how tall you're willing for the new tree to be, so you might want to indicate that. Hawthorn is a nice spring flowering tree as are crabapples and cherries. I have found the ornamental cherries like Yoshino to be fairly fast growing in the southeast.

    A nice native tree that can even be evergreen for you is Wax Myrtle. It does not get too big either.

  • brlandscaper
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wax Myrtles develop the same problems as the bradford pears. they end up not being strong enough to support the limbs and break at the trunks. As far as crepe myrtles go 'natchez' grows fairly quickly and would provide some shade(although it is not a dense with foliage as the bradford was). they grow to about 40 feet, have white blooms, and cinnamon colored bark in the fall. 'Natchez' are also disease resistant(sooty mold, powdery mildew). It would be a good tree to look into if you wanted to remain "close" to the house.
    A Drake Elm may be somthing else for you to look at(they make lots of sapling tho').
    Jon

  • windeaux
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I agree with brlandscaper re Wax Myrtles. They're native to my area & grow extremely well, but I learned the hard way that they can be very fragile under high-wind conditions.

    As for crepe myrtles . . . It's heresy for a Southern gardener to admit this, but I wish I could banish all traces of them from my property. The root systems apparently remain close to the surface and are hell-bent on replicating the plant EVERYWHERE. I pull up 'volunteers' all season long. For a few years, I potted them up & passed them along to friends. There are now handsome progeny of my 'Natchez' & 'Muskogee' all over town.

    I had one 'Natchez' removed, and the stump ground. As one might expect, the roots remain viable. Four yrs later, it's still trying to re-establish itself.

    The one CM I have that behaves reasonably well is a very old variety, 'Near East'. In my opinion, it's also the most beautiful, altho the bloom season isn't quite as long as that of the newer cultivars.

  • brlandscaper
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    'Near East' is my favorite cultivar hands down. Shaggy bark and that look that is windswept. Truly a beauty!!! They are perhaps the slowest growing of the CM cultivars, hence the reason you don't see them in more landscaping projects. People tend to forget that the "right now" is not what landscaping is about. Plant for the future and you will be happy with the results.

    Windeaux, The next time you have one of them removed it's a good idea to paint brush and stump killer(Triclopyr-full strength) on the remaining trunk ASAP.Let that sit for a few weeks before grinding the remaining stump. I don't think you'll see ANY regrowth.
    Jon

  • vickishome
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    sweetpea82, if your Bradford Pear is already splitting, I'd have a tree removal company come and take it down immediately. You don't want the tree to split and take half of your porch down with it.

    I cannot understand why people are so vehemently against Bradford Pears. It's okay if people don't like them, but some people do (otherwise, they'd never be planted). I have 4 Bradford Pears lining my driveway, and I absolutely adore the shade they give. And their beautiful fall colors are incredible every year! They're not messy trees with only the fall leaf drop which is relatively fast, beautiful on the ground for a few weeks (due to the colored leaves), and then makes for great compost when cleaned up. I will admit, I did not know about their short life or splitting when I planted them (they were recommended because their root system could be planted next to the driveway and foundation). But even though I now know what will happen in the future, I can at least enjoy the trees while they're still young enough to be healthy.

    I don't agree that they'll split in only 6-8 years. That's not at all what I've read, seen in my neighborhood or experienced myself. From what I know, they'll last between 15-20 years, depending on how sheltered or exposed to the wind they may be and whether or not a high wind tropical storm or hurricane passes through (but these storms cause damage to a lot of trees, not just Bradford Pears). I planted my Bradford Pears about 12 years ago, and so far, so good.

    From what I've understood, the splitting normally occurs when the trees reach the latter stages of maturity. While young, they maintain a beautiful pyramid shape. However, when they fully mature, the canopy will open up which then causes the branches to start hanging outward from the center of the tree. This is when the splitting usually occurs. The tree cannot hold the weight of the outwardly hanging branches, and the pressure causes the tree to split where it forks at the trunk.

    As far as planting a crape myrtle so close to the porch, be careful to pick one that is disease and pest resistant. Many crape myrtles can be attacked by pests, most especially aphids which are then "milked" by ants. This causes honeydew to be dropped from the tree, causing sooty mold on the leaves and making a mess of everything underneath the tree. There are times in which I've watched my crape myrtles look like they're "raining" or "crying" as the honeydew is dropping off the trees so much. To remedy this, of course you can spray the tree, but the question then becomes whether you want to be spraying your tree so close to your porch.

    Depending on the layout of your lot and porch, you may want to consider a larger, more permanent tree further away from the porch that will give you a lot of shade in the long run. You could plant a fast growing, short lived tree close to the porch now while you allow the permanent tree to grow large enough to give you the shade you want, and then remove the temporary tree later on.

    I have two beautiful Live Oak trees in my backyard which give me the most glorious shade for my patio. Even though my patio is covered, the sun will still heat things up in the Summer. By planting trees all over my front, side and back yards, my entire property is much cooler in general so my patio is not only shaded, but the air all around my house is cooler. The other benefit by having large, permanent trees on your property is that as they grow larger, they won't just shade your porch, but they'll shade the roof of your house which will actually help to lower your air conditioner bills in the Summer. I have also found that the shade creates a wonderful gardening environment with dappled shade cooling off the plants, giving them some protection from the scorching mid-summer heat, but still allowing enough sunlight to come through for flowering plants to flourish. Furthermore, if you ever wish to sell your house, permanent trees raise the selling value of your house and help your house to sell more quickly because the trees create a more desirable environment overall.

    You may want to contact your county's Extension Agency for a list of recommended trees in your area. Consider how big the trees will grow at maturity (height and width), what diseases and/or pests they are susceptible to, and whether their roots cause known problems (such as you cannot plant a Live Oak close to a sidewalk, driveway or foundation because the roots will crack the concrete and Crape Myrtle roots tend to rise to the surface and can sometimes sucker quite a bit), how fast the tree grows, and how long they usually live.

    You may also want to look for a university close by that's into agriculture which may have a list of recommended trees. I find that Texas A&M University has a lot more information than my local county extension agency.

    One other tree I just thought of that you might want to consider is a Holly tree. Look for the ones that are known to grow well in your area. Many of them are gorgeously dark green year-round and have a beautiful display of red berries in the fall which is very attractive to many birds. The one caveat is that their flowers in the spring attract a lot of bees. While the bees cause no harm, many people are afraid of them so you may not feel comfortable having them so close to your porch.

    Also keep in mind that a large number of bushes can be grown in tree form. The basic Ligustrum, which is usually used for hedges, can be grown into small trees (ditto on the bee issue in the Spring). But look around as there might be a bush that, when properly shaped, can grow into a tree form to suit your needs.

    If you want immediate shade, you can buy a more mature shrub/tree and have the nursery plant it for you. Just stick with container grown; never get a tree that's been transplanted from one of those huge spade trucks. The transplanted trees take longer to recover from the transplant than it takes for a smaller, container grown tree to grow. The only exception to buying a mature tree is the Redbud as it does not like to have its roots disturbed, and the more mature the tree, the more risk of it dying when planted (not to mention, they're short-lived trees and you don't want them to only have a few years left after you plant them).

    Okay, I'm sure that's way too much information! LOL! Hopefully, something I've suggested will be helpful. Whatever you end up doing, I wish you the best of luck!

  • tweetypye
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    To each his own, I say. If you like Bradford Pears fine, if you don't fine. However, with that said, let me say this. I have a 27 year old BP that is as beautiful and healthy as any tree could hope to be. It isn't showing any signs of splitting. The thing I do not like about the tree is the constant battle with the seedlings that sprout up everywhere, and don't dare park near or under one when the fruit is ripening and dropping. Talk about a mess! Mine is planted at the edge of my garden, so if it developes problems with splitting in the future, it won't fall on my home, not my vehicles.
    I do think you would be happy with a redbud near your porch. They are fairly fast growers and retain a beautiful, graceful shape. I have several, one of which is about 30 years old, so, they can be long lived also. I guess it just depends on the variety and the growing conditions.
    Good luck in your tree hunt. :)
    Jan

  • anntn6b
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    While you're waiting for the replacement tree to grow, you might want to go really low tech for shade and either plant annual hyancinth beans or morning glories to make shade and they die with first frost.
    Old fashioned, but practical solutions.

  • vickishome
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    tweetypye, I'm not surprised at the age of your Bradford Pear. I know some around here are much older than mine, but I don't have any idea of their true age. All I know is they were large, mature trees when I moved here about 13 years ago, and they're still doing very well.

    Fortunately, I do not share in the messy problems you are having. I have no suckering problems with any of my 4 Bradford Pears (but I do have 2 out of my 7 Live Oaks that sucker, one rather badly). My Bradford Pear does not produce fruit so there's nothing ripening or falling to make a mess. Mine will bloom each Spring, and I've heard some people complain about the smell of the blooms, but I have not noticed any fragrance from any of my trees. Perhaps it depends on whether they're planted in an more enclosed area, as opposed to, a more open area? I honestly don't know.

    But I do find it interesting that two people who have the same tree are experiencing some very different characteristics. Yours suckers and has messy fruit, while none of my 4 sucker or bear fruit.

    I wonder if it depends on the named variety? Given the age difference of our trees, maybe I was lucky enough to get my trees when a new hybridized variety had become standard on the market?

    That would also explain why so many people have different experiences with what they think are the same trees. Maybe they're the same basic trees, but different varieties?

  • jess2132000
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have two Bradford Pear trees. I have always had them thinned out every other year or so. The one is 18 years old and the other is 15 years old so far none have split. I hear some can have a peg drilled into the branches that look like they may be prone to split. I have not had to do that yet with my Bradfords. Tomorrow we are having a tree company come out and do maintaince on them again. I hope they last another 10 years. They give great shade to our yard.

  • Iris GW
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yes thinning them out probably helps but not everyone is willing to pay to have them thinned. My neighbor got a quote to thin his aging one for $275! He decided to cut it down instead, the removal quote was only $125 more.

  • don_licuala
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Bradford Pears were very popular on the SE Piedmont during the 1980's. As people gained experience with the tree (and it was overly planted), its reputation became tarnished and people today generally regard it as a trashy tree. The blooms have a putrid odor, they have many surface roots, they sucker profusely, and they break easily. There's your made in China tree.

    Wax Myrtle is a popular SE coastal native. It can break in strong winds. Unfortunately this is more common when planted as an ornamental. In the wild, it's more likely found in a thicket, so the wind is buffeted.

    A Crape Myrtle could work for you, provided you choose a tall variety and you don't prune it back. This is commonly done since the tree flowers on new wood. Just check with a landscaper that the blooms don't attract bees.

    Generally, trees that grow fast have weak wood and surface roots.

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