Some states issue bounty on handsome yet smelly tree
(NEXSTAR) — There is something idyllic about walking down a tree-lined street, especially in spring when blooms are bursting. It's why visitors from far and wide flock to Washington, D.C., every spring to admire the cherry blossoms.
There are some blooming ornamental trees that, while impressive, have been found to be menacing to native species. They're so problematic, officials in some states have issued a bounty for it.
The species, the Callery pear tree, has a complicated origin story in the U.S. Originally imported from Asia in 1909 for the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University, the tree was again brought to the U.S. a decade later by the Department of Agriculture to help the common pear (a non-native but naturalized species here) develop resistance against a destructive bacterial disease.
Once its ornamental value and hardiness were recognized in the 1950s, the Callery pear was used to develop cultivars, including the Bradford pear tree, according to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. You may be familiar with other cultivars that have since been created, including the Cleveland Select, Aristocrat, and Redspire.
It was believed, initially, that the trees were not able to reproduce, which experts later found to be inaccurate as the species found a way to cross-pollinate because of the cultivars, Shad Hufnagel, Forest Health Coordinator for the Kansas Forest Service, told Nexstar's KSNW.
While the pear trees have many apparent benefits — they grow quickly, can adapt to different regions, tolerate droughts and pollution, produce a dazzling bloom, and form a symmetrical shape — the Callery is less than desirable.
They typically have dense growth and thorns, per the USDA, which can prove detrimental to equipment and livestock that encounter them. Their ability to grow among pine plantations 'can impede some forest management practices,' while their dense growth can block out native species. The Callery pear trees are also known to be weak, causing them to be damaged by storms frequently, experts note.
$95M settlement over Siri eavesdropping claims approved: How to make a claim
And yet, there's something worse about them: their odor.
'The fragrance of Callery pears has been described as smelling like dead fish, vomit, urine, and other undesirable things,' Ken Johnson, a horticulture educator at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, wrote last year.
Nonetheless, the trees have rapidly spread across the U.S. and can be found in several states, primarily throughout the East.
Some of those states are inviting residents to annihilate the trees, oftentimes in exchange for a preferred native species or even money.
Earlier this year, the Virginia Department of Forestry offered a Callery pear exchange program, offering residents free 'native, young, healthy' replacement trees for the removal of the trees from their property. Hundreds of residents, who were responsible for all costs related to removing the Callery pear tree, took advantage of the program.
Missouri's Invasive Plant Council offered a native tree in exchange for one or more Callery pear trees in April.
The Kansas Forest Service expects to host a buyback program in the fall. Organizations in Ohio have launched bounty and exchange programs, some of which target other invasive species as well. Pennsylvania recently launched its own program to replace invasive trees and shrubs. Similar programs have been offered in South Carolina.
Several states have outlawed the Callery pear tree in their state.
It may look stunning, but officials want you to kill this bug if you see it
Ohio became the first state to make it illegal to sell, grow, or plant the tree in 2023, followed by Pennsylvania and South Carolina in 2024. Next year, Minnesota will prohibit the tree's sale statewide. Starting in 2027, Callery pear trees and their relatives can no longer be moved or sold within Kansas.
Callery pear trees are identifiable by their white blooms in spring, which typically come early and produce the aforementioned foul smell, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture explains. Its leaves are wavy, rounded to teardrop-shaped, and have fine teeth. Thorns can be found on branches and stems. Callery pears can also produce large crops of tiny, hard pears that are green to brown that become soft after the first frost. Come fall, the tree's leaves will be 'brilliantly colored,' if they aren't tarnished by frost due to their late color change.
Johnson told Nexstar that while fall is the best time to do woody plant management, as trees are sending resources from the leaves back down to the roots, you can still take down a Callery pear tree now.
He recommends cutting down the tree and treating the stumps with an herbicide, and watching for suckers — stems that can grow from the base of a tree or its roots.
Why Costco, Sam's Club typically have lower gas prices than other stations
While it isn't considered invasive in every state, including Illinois, and can still be purchased, Johnson noted the species does still have invasive qualities.
'Just because you can still buy it doesn't mean you should. We know it causes problems,' he explained, noting that that is true for all the cultivars of the Callery pear tree. 'Look for something else you want. Those spring blooms, redbuds, dogwoods, things like that, still have those nice blooms and the added benefit — at least they don't smell bad.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Catholicism sees major resurgence among Gen Z, led by men
Young men are driving a growing surge in Catholicism among Gen Z, as they turn to faith as an answer to loneliness, cultural drift and a search for purpose. A Harvard University study shows that Gen Zers who identified as Catholic rose by 6% between 2022 and 2023, a shift that Father Michael Tidd — headmaster of Delbarton School, a Benedictine Catholic school for young men in grades 7-12 in Morristown, New Jersey — says he has witnessed himself. 'We present our students with an experience of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. We propose, we don't impose, and they come to us, and that seems to be really resonant with them,' he shared with 'Fox & Friends' on Thursday. 'For the last several years, we have also had students be received into the church, either be baptized as Catholics for the first time or to receive all of their sacraments, because the experience that they have had here… of what it means particularly to be a man in our society, what it needs to be a believing man, a Catholic Christian man, really resonates with our students. And the larger things that you read about in our society about how… what it means to be man, is really a difficult question for a lot of young men to answer. I think our school and the Catholic Church more broadly and the Catholic faith more broadly provide a compelling answer to that.' 3 A Harvard University study shows that Gen Zers who identified as Catholic rose by 6% between 2022 and 2023. Getty Images Father Tidd said he sees students responding to that question in a faith-based way 'every day.' Students at Delbarton come from a variety of backgrounds – some from practicing Catholic families, others from non-Catholic families – but all are presented with what it means to be a Catholic Christian both in the theology classroom and while doing service out in the world. Father Tidd described the school's retreat experiences as a 'real game-changer' for students as well as the 'common worship' at mass and morning prayer that brings together all students. 3 Father Michael Tidd, headmaster of Delbarton School, a Benedictine Catholic school for young men, says he has witnessed this increase. FOX 3 Pope Leo XIV recently sent a message of encouragement to young Americans in his hometown of Chicago a part of the faith. Maria Grazia Picciarella/Shutterstock The sense of community is an answer to disturbing findings like a recent Gallup Poll, which found that younger men in the U.S. were 'among the loneliest in the West.' More specifically, one in four men under the age of 35 reported feeling lonely the prior day, the data revealed. In a video address last week to the faithful in his hometown of Chicago, Pope Leo XIV sent a message of encouragement to young Americans. 'So many people who suffer from different experiences of depression or sadness — they can discover that the love of God is truly healing, that it brings hope,' the newly elected pontiff said. Father Tidd suggested that young men affected by loneliness take initiative and find others who share common experiences, dreams, ambitions and, together, work to find answers to questions about meaning and purpose. 'That's one of the benefits of coming to a Catholic school, is that we have that structure that if a student wishes to take advantage of – particularly not just in class, but on athletic teams or extracurriculars – when you form those tight bonds, then you can begin to ask those deep questions,' he added.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
WHO 13 Farm Report: Thursday, June 19th
David Geiger takes a look at Thursday's farm and agriculture news. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Newsweek
Residents Move Into 1950s Home—Years Later Make Shock Discovery in Basement
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Minnesota homeowner has sparked intrigue across Reddit after discovering an unusual key hidden in the rafters of their basement—years after moving into their 1950s-era house. The post, titled "Odd key in the basement rafters..." was shared by u/edrift101 to the r/Weird subreddit on June 16 and included a couple of images showing a tarnished old key. "We found this years after moving into our new home," the user wrote in the caption. "No idea how long it's been there, but the house was built in the 1950s (Minneapolis, MN). Doesn't match anything in the house or the garage," the poster said, adding "maybe there's a secret keyhole somewhere in the house, ala Locke & Key [fictional television series]? That could be fun." The discovery in the Reddit post comes as U.S. homeowners face soaring housing costs. According to a 2024 report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, millions of potential homebuyers have been "priced out of the market by elevated home prices and interest rates." The home price surge was reported in 97 of the top 100 markets, with higher rises in the northeast and Midwest regions, the report found. 'Treasure Stashes' The recent post drew a wave of speculation and amateur detective work from Reddit users eager to weigh in on the mysterious artifact, which bears a resemblance to what many call a "skeleton key." "That appears to be a warded lock key," wrote u/whitecholklet. "Sometimes called a skeleton key or warded lock pick, it could be used to open a lot of older style locks. People hid them in their house in case they lost a key or sometimes just used it as a key." Other Redditors chimed in with their own theories—ranging from the practical to the imaginative. One user, u/la_picasa, speculated that the original lock was likely replaced at some point, saying "the lock(s) it was used for probably got changed at some point in time. If you're just now finding that though, I would be searching the rafters in hidden spots for treasure stashes! People used to hide cash up in there." Some comments ventured further off the beaten path. "Similar keys work in some old mouse and rat traps I have seen," noted u/TheSunRisesintheEast. "It is supposed to keep the poisoned bait from being accessed." Others considered more sentimental or historical origins. "Maybe it is the very first key for the first front door when the home was built???" suggested u/SILVERSKID70. Another user, u/NoVillage7217, said: "If it's in the basement, it could have gone to a hope chest stored there in the past." Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via the Reddit messaging system. A stock image of a rusted key on a wooden table. A stock image of a rusted key on a wooden table. Getty Have you ever made a unique discovery in your home? Let us know via life@ and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
