Fun Facts About Bradford Pear Trees and Why They’re Prone to Splitting
It is not uncommon to see a Bradford pear tree that has been cleaved in two by a storm, and one can be forgiven for wondering what it is about such a popular specimen that makes it so apt to come undone. You may even have some misgivings about the one in your own yard.
We are here to tell you there is no need to fret. The people of Knoxville ask us about their Bradford pears more than any other kind of tree. Smoky Mountain Tree Service has put our experience to work for homeowners in East Tennessee since 2018, showing them how to deal with these trees. Should you have any qualms about a Bradford pear on your land, we can be reached at (865) 346-4490.
Still, before you do anything, we would like to set the record straight as to why they have earned their reputation for splitting and what is so interesting about them.
A Brief History
Most are not aware of the Bradford pear’s background. Put down as an ornamental in the U.S. in the mid-1900s for its fine form and white spring blossoms, it was made welcome in city streets, shopping centers and neighborhoods for decades on account of being quick to grow and presentable.
That rapid growth was part of its charm, but also, regrettably, the source of its undoing.
Consider some of the following:
- A cultivar of the Callery pear hailing from China.
- The aroma of the spring flowers is quite potent and not to everyone’s taste.
- They are short lived for a tree, seldom making it to 25 or 20 years of age.
- Once thought to be sterile, cross-pollination has given rise to invasive stock.
- Some states in our vicinity will not allow new plantings of them.
- Come fall, the leaves put on a show of purple, orange and red.
What Causes Them to Break
Why do they seem to break apart when you least want them to? That is the question we are asked.
You have to look at the construction of the tree. The way a Bradford pear puts on its branches is very specific; rather than limbs that fan out from the trunk at a good angle, you get a lot of them all going up from the same spot. An arborist would point to the weak crotch unions and narrow angles.
The bark gets pinched in the process, what is called included bark, and the wood does not bond. It gives the appearance of a sound tree but is wanting in the places that count. Then you factor in the soft, less dense wood that comes with such hasty growth and you have a top-heavy tree with joints of little strength.
Storms in the Smoky Mountain foothills with their ice and gusty winds put too much weight on it and the tree will split, sometimes right down the trunk. We field those calls after every storm.
Is Your Bradford Pear in Jeopardy?
There are certain things to be on the lookout for:
- More than one large limb off the same point of the trunk
- Cracks where a branch joins the tree
- Bark folded between limbs
- An uneven canopy or a trunk that is leaning
- Crown with deadwood
A professional should be called in if you see any of this, and before the weather turns.
Make it a Point to Get an Expert
Do not try to trim or remove a Bradford pear yourself; the wood is weak and the branches do not behave, making it unsafe. Our ISA-certified arborists are licensed and insured and know the proper way to go about it.
We are a family operation at Smoky Mountain Tree Service and cover all of Knoxville, Maryville, Oak Ridge, Pigeon Forge, Lenoir City and beyond. For a free estimate or an emergency 24 hour response, we are at your service.
If a Bradford pear on your property is giving you pause, let us make the decision for you before the next storm does. Give us a ring at (865) 346-4490.