March 13 is:
K9 Veterans Day,
Good Samaritan Day
Why are they awful? Because they are totally ornamental, but spread into the woods...and they are non-native so take over the places other native plants would grow. It's a horticultural/ecological thing.
But they are earliest to bloom here, and give folks a bit of hope even when temperatures dip to freezing at night still.
This one hasn't had blooms for the last two years, but somehow manages to produce leaves still.
Sharing with Wordless Wednesday.
Today's quote:
Nothing is worth more than laughter. It is strength to laugh and to abandon oneself, to be light. |
FRIDA KAHLO
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Where do Bradford Pear trees come from? Are they like Flowering Cherries, just bred to be ornamental?
ReplyDeleteNot up on the history of them. Sorry.
Delete...I sold thousands of Bradford pears when I was in the nursery business. At first they didn't produce fruit, most pears are not self fertile. They need a second variety to pollinate to produce fruit. There are now so many varieties of ornamental pears that cross pollination occurs and fruit and seeds are common. They are a mess.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tom, I was hoping you could give some of this info from your business expertise.
DeleteIt is a shame the Bradford Pear are not native, they are pretty. I like the cute squirrel photo and caption. Take care, enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteThey are pretty, and I never knew how they weren't loved by all until recently.
DeleteThat is interesting Tom. We have several Wild Pears in our foraging hedge..two varieties, both need betting before use, but the juice is tasty
ReplyDeleteBletting
DeleteTwo interesting links..it was named after the one who bred it in Maryland..that is in a Washington Post article, so I can't share it,..and Wikipedia..https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrus_calleryana
ReplyDeleteGreat that you took the time to do research, thanks. I don't know what bletting is. Need to look it up meself, don't I?
DeleteI remember when landscapers first started introducing Bradford pears. They were lovely. But when strong storms hit they often were damaged. One spring I realized that along the roadsides were Bradford pears escapees! They didn't look that nice anymore.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your experience also with these early blooming decorative trees.
DeleteAnd Barbara, as to my cooking from scratch, that's what I do with only an occasional purchase of frozen breaded shrimp or fish and rotisserie chicken.
ReplyDeleteAh ha, good to know some short cuts are also on tap!
DeleteI do so love Bradford pears but they have come under a cloud recently, haven't they? Many people wish to get rid of them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2024/03/there-isnt-much-thats-sweeter-than.html
So glad you host that Wordless Wednesday meme. I've been slowly looking at the other blogs. My time is getting pulled to be outside more these days!
DeleteWe too in Hawaii understand about the charming visitor land or animal or bird who overstays their welcome once we understand that they are not a positive part of our ecosystem. Beautiful post today Thank you Aloha
ReplyDeleteGood to think of them as visitors that overstay their welcome! But unfortunately nobody knows at the beginning, having pretty blossoming trees, that eventually they'd become a problem. I'll still welcome new varieties of things, waiting to see what might be coming along next.
DeleteHendersonville [NC] Tree Board has joined a statewide program that gives free replacement trees to residents who remove invasive Bradford pear trees. This was posted on Facebook today!
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I love the sight that means Spring is on the way! I did not realize they were invasive.
ReplyDeleteThey are pretty--and I'm so glad that I never planted any. I am guilty of some other invasives--like burning bush and ivy. A big mistake.
ReplyDeleteI've never come across them in my corner of the world.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame because they are such a cheerful sight when they bloom. I didn't realize they were invasive.
Sometimes their offspring have thorns! When I moved in here, there was a huge Bradford pear tree next to my bedroom window… So close that it brushed against the window when the wind blew. Then a squirrel got in the attic, and the only way he could’ve gotten in was by climbing that pear tree. That was it for me. I had it taken down. But it keeps coming up from the remains of the roots, and I have to keep cutting it back and spraying it. I hope I can get it under control this summer.
ReplyDeleteSO, they are awfully beautiful when they manage to bloom.
ReplyDelete