RADIO TRANSCRIPT
March 6, 2023
Taylor Campbell

This is Taylor Campbell, horticulture extension agent with North Carolina Cooperative Extension Burke Center. Today’s program is on bradford pear trees. It’s that time of the year again. Round trees with white blossoms dot the landscape of North Carolina. Bradford pear trees started as a fast-growing, attractive ornamental tree. However, the bradford pear quickly became highly invasive. No pollinators like the blooms of the bradford pear. Because of their fast-growing nature, bradford pears reproduce quickly and easily, encroaching on woodland areas and outcompeting native trees. Even more, bradford pears are known to have a rotten fish odor and are easily breakable in storms. If you’re realizing it may be time to say goodbye to your bradford pear trees, you’re in luck. North Carolina offers a bounty for all bradford pear trees that are cut down and replaced with native species. The owner is responsible for removing the tree, but a Certified Arborist may be able to help. Spray the stump with an herbicide so the tree doesn’t resprout. Bradford pears may be replaced with eastern redbud, silver maple, flowering dogwood, and more. For more information, visit treebountync.org.

This has been Taylor Campbell, horticulture extension agent with North Carolina Cooperative Extension Burke Center. For more information, contact us at 764-9480.