Beautiful But ‘Evil’ Bloomers Invade Virginia

A long-time friend posted that question to Facebook in early March along with a photo. His image showed glorious trees flaunting white, showy blossoms as they surrounded his neighborhood lake.

This innocent query generated nearly 100 responses that give me hope about invasive plant knowledge. It should gain momentum with Virginia Cooperative Extension’s 2024 focus on invasive species.

A few hopeful Facebook commenters guessed these early bloomers were native serviceberry or wild plum trees. But, most responders identified them correctly as invasive Bradford or Callery pear trees. They called them “evil,” “nasty,” “smelly” and “bad for the environment.”

This negative response made me wonder about these showy bloomers that once were the darlings of landscapers. I assume these are the trees I see daily along Norfolk’s North Colley Avenue where rows of white-blossomed trees awkwardly straddle power lines thanks to creative pruning.

The Virginia Department of Forestry website calls Callery pears “one of the worst invasive plant species in the entire Southeast.”

The Virginia Invasive Species website says the pear trees, which originated in East Asia:

• Are displacing native species as they rapidly expand outside of cultivation.
• Alter soil, which suppresses other plant species.
• Form thorns that can puncture tires and shoes.
• Produce fruit that attracts birds, which then scatter the seeds.
• Are difficult to control or remove once established.
• Have weak limbs prone to snapping in high winds or other weather events.

The Virginia Invasive Species website encourages people to report Callery pear trees so they can be mapped; https://www.invasivespeciesva.org/map-your-invader.

The Virginia Department of Forestry introduced a 2024 program to replace Virginia landowners’ Callery pears with free native trees. Pre-registration was required for the Charlottesville event on April 20. Since the program sold out quickly, let’s hope it will be repeated. Here is a link to learn about the 2024 tree replacement program: https://dof.virginia.gov/forest-management-health/forest-health/financial-assistance-program/callery-pear-exchange-program/.

On a recent Amtrak trip from Washington, D.C. I entertained myself by watching what I dubbed the Tour de Invasives. I boarded the train shortly after National Invasive Species Awareness Week ended on March 3.