Although they were initially very popular due to their beauty, Pereiras Callery are spreading uncontrollably and threatening the local ecosystem in the United States.
Ladly acclaimed as the perfect ornamental tree, Pereira Callery, commonly known as Pereira Bradford, is now a black sheep in the United States.
Introduced in the country for over a century, these imports of the east Asian were initially praised by their Beautiful spring flowersrapid growth and disease resistance. But nowadays, Callery is insulted as a invasive species which disturbs ecosystems, is easily departed and has a notoriously offensive odor.
The tree first arrived in North America in 1909, brought to Arnold Arboretum from Harvard University. In 1916, the US Department of Agriculture was cultivating the tree as a Potential solution for the pear plague. It gained great popularity in the mid -twentieth century, when real estate promoters adopted it for its aesthetic appeal and its low maintenance growth. In 1964, The New York Times even praised Bradford pear as a “unusual close to the ideal” tree.
However, his rapid dissemination was soon to sound alarms. Initially thought as barren, Callery pear turned away from it. When different cultivars were planted nearby, they performed cross pollination, producing viable seeds. The birds then spread these seeds through vast areas, allowing the trees exceeded the native flora. Which began to be a unique solution, it quickly turned into a large ecological problem, says.
Adding to the unpopularity of the tree is its smelly spring flowering. Although the curls of white flowers can be beautiful, they often smell compared to rotten fish, vomited or worse. The smell, which is thought to attract flies to pollination, made the tree infamous between the gardeners and among the inhabitants of the city.
In addition to the smell and invasive character, Pereira Callery has physical risks. Its fragile members, prone to the end of only a few decades, make it a danger during storms. This structural weakness has transformed neighborhood trees, once charming, into risks to safety.
Currently, at least five states classify Pereira Callery as a nocy or invasive species. It is illegal to plant or sell the tree in Ohio, Pennsylvania and South Carolina. In Missouri and North Carolina, state -supported programs even offer free native incentives or trees to residents who cut them.
Pereira Callery’s history is a clear reminder of the unintentional consequences of the introduction of non -native species, even with the best of intentions.
