RALEIGH, N.C. — The Bradford pear tree is an ornamental commonly planted tree in North Carolina. Sure, it has pretty blossoms, but it’s also structurally weak, stinky, and harmful to our native ecosystems! Bradford pears can breed with other varieties of pear trees and spread in natural forests, replacing native trees and creating “food deserts” for birds.
You’ll see their characteristic white blooms in full effect in March or early spring.
We’re teaming up with the NC Forest Service, NC Urban Forest Council, and NC Wildlife Federation to encourage North Carolinians to remove and replace these invasive trees.
When you cut down your Bradford pear trees, we’ll give you up to five (5) free native trees to replace them with! You must sign-up to attend the NC Bradford Pear Bounty event on April 23, 2022 in Greensboro, NC to pick up your native tree.
To learn more about this event visit: treebountync.com
To learn more about Bradford pears, read this article from NC State CNR asking Dr. Kelly Oten about this tree and the current bounty offered.
Read more at: https://forestry.ces.ncsu.edu/2022/03/nc-bradford-pear-bounty/
–Savannah Jones, N.C. State Extension