PlantLegitBradford pear tree: the smell, the splitting, removal, and where it's banned
Short answer: Bradford is a cultivar of Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana). Extension services describe its flowers as foul-smelling and its tight branch crotches as prone to splitting[1][2]. Sale is banned now in Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Maryland (from Jan 15, 2026), Delaware, Maine (from Jan 1, 2024), Minnesota (Restricted — no import/sale/transport), and Vermont (quarantine: no cultivation, distribution or transport). Massachusetts still allows sales through Dec 31, 2028. New Jersey phases in: prop/import from Jan 1, 2027; sale from Jan 1, 2030. Later bans: Connecticut Oct 1, 2027; Illinois and Michigan Jan 1, 2028; Missouri nursery dealers Jan 1, 2029. Virginia requires a store "invasive" sign from Jan 1, 2027 (not a sale ban). NC, SC, MO and KY run free native-tree swaps for removed trees.
Sources (22)
- [1] NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Pyrus calleryana
- [2] Penn State Extension: Callery Pear (updated Feb 18, 2026)
- [3] Missouri Department of Conservation: Callery Pear Control – mdc.mo.gov
- [4] Clemson Extension: Bradford Pear Bounty – Clemson Cooperative Extension
- [5] NC Bradford Pear Bounty (NC State Extension, NC Forest Service, NC Urban Forest Council, NC Wildlife Federation) – treebountync.com
- [6] MDC news: 2026 Callery Pear Buyback – mdc.mo.gov
- [7] UKNow (University of Kentucky), Oct 5, 2026: fall Bradford pear bounty events – uknow.uky.edu
- [8] Rutgers Extension: Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance – extension.rutgers.edu
- [9] Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-381d(b)(3), (f) (CGA 2026 Supplement) – Connecticut General Assembly
- [10] 3 DE Admin. Code 806 + DDA Nursery Inspection (Final Invasive Plant List) – Delaware Administrative Code
- [11] 17 Ill. Adm. Code 1100.30 (IDNR, ILGA) – Illinois General Assembly
- [12] MDAR Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List (phase-out dates on list entry)
- [13] MDA Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List – Maryland Department of Agriculture
- [14] Maine DACF Horticulture — Do Not Sell Plant List + 01-001 CMR ch. 273 – www11.maine.gov
- [15] MDARD order: Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development vote May 20, 2026 (NREPA Part 413), announced May 21, 2026 – Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (Michigan.gov)
- [16] Minnesota Noxious Weed List — Restricted (MDA) – Minnesota Department of Agriculture
- [17] RSMo § 263.070.5 (Missouri Revisor)
- [18] NJDA Invasive Species page + NJDA nursery info PDF – New Jersey Department of Agriculture
- [19] OAC 901:5-30-01(A)(50), (B), (C)(1) (eff. Feb 13, 2023) – Ohio Laws and Administrative Rules
- [20] Pa. Bulletin Doc. 21-2067 + PDA Controlled Plant & Noxious Weed Lists – Pennsylvania Code & Bulletin
- [21] Clemson News (Clemson Regulatory Services / DPI), July 14, 2021 – news.clemson.edu
- [22] Vermont Agency of Agriculture — Quarantine List (Tier 3 Callery pear)
Checked 2026-10-15. Informational only, not legal or professional advice.
Where are Bradford / Callery pears banned? (by state, with dates)
| State | Status |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | Sale, purchase, import, transplant, cultivation and distribution prohibited on or after Oct 1, 2027; fine up to $100 per plant. ✓ verified 2026-10-15[9] |
| Delaware | On the Invasive Plant List (3 DE Admin. Code 806 § 3.1.3); Delaware law bars import, export, buy, sell, transport, distribution or propagation — enforcement in effect (DDA Nursery Inspection, updated May 2026). ✓ verified 2026-10-15[10] |
| Illinois | Added to the Official List of Exotic Weeds starting Jan 1, 2028. ✓ verified 2026-10-15[11] |
| Maine | Do Not Sell list (01-001 CMR ch. 273): illegal to import, export, buy, sell or intentionally propagate for sale — all cultivars — effective Jan 1, 2024. ✓ verified 2026-10-15[14] |
| Maryland | Prohibited invasive plant: may not be acquired or sold in-state after Jan 15, 2026; nursery phase-out potted by Jan 15, 2027, in-ground by Jan 15, 2028 (MDA table, updated July 2026). ✓ verified 2026-10-15[13] |
| Massachusetts | On the MDAR Prohibited Plant List: import and propagation ended 9/19/2024; retail sales allowed through Dec 31, 2028 (limited orchard exceptions). ✓ verified 2026-10-15[12] |
| Michigan | Restricted species effective Jan 1, 2028: unlawful to introduce, import, sell, possess with intent to distribute, or intentionally propagate. ✓ verified 2026-10-15[15] |
| Minnesota | Restricted noxious weed (MDA Jan 2026 list): may not be imported, sold or transported except by permit under Minn. Stat. § 18.82. ✓ verified 2026-10-15[16] |
| Missouri | Registered nursery dealers may not sell all varieties and cultivars of Callery pear on or after Jan 1, 2029. ✓ verified 2026-10-15[17] |
| New Jersey | Invasive Species Management Act (signed Jan 8, 2026): propagation and import need an NJDEP waiver from Jan 1, 2027; sale, distribution and export need a waiver from Jan 1, 2030. ✓ verified 2026-10-15[18] |
| Ohio | Listed invasive plant: no sale, offer for sale, propagation, distribution or import; the rule's exemption for Callery pear ran until Jan 7, 2023. ✓ verified 2026-10-15[19] |
| Pennsylvania | Added as a Class B noxious weed; effective 60 days after publication on Dec 11, 2021 (= Feb 9, 2022). Still on the PDA list today. ✓ verified 2026-10-15[20] |
| South Carolina | Nursery sale ban on Bradford pear and pears grown on Callery rootstock began Oct 1, 2024. ✓ verified 2026-10-15[21] |
| Vermont | Quarantine List Tier 3 (broadly established): Vermont's Regulated Introduced Plant Species Rule prohibits cultivation, distribution and transport (Agency quarantine list, effective June 16, 2026). ✓ verified 2026-10-15[22] |
| Virginia | Callery pear — signage required from Jan 1, 2027 — Retail invasive-plant signage (Va. Code § 3.2-3801.1, effective Jan 1, 2027) — sale allowed, but retailers must post an "invasive" sign at the display; not a sale ban (PlantLegit dataset; official source on state page) |
"✓ verified" = we re-read the official statute/rule/agency page on the date shown. Other rows come from PlantLegit's state-law dataset; each state page links its official source. Virginia: sale allowed, retail "invasive" signage required from Jan 1, 2027 (see Virginia).
What to plant instead (native, not on any invasive list)
MDC recommends small native trees such as American plum, flowering dogwood, eastern redbud, hawthorn and serviceberry[3]. Filter by your zone:
| Plant | Zones | Type | Height | Deer (Rutgers) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern redbud Cercis canadensis not in ASPCA list | 4–9 | tree | 20 ft - 30 ft tall | C | NC State Ext. |
| Downy serviceberry Amelanchier arborea not in ASPCA list | 4–9 | tree | 15 ft - 25 ft tall | B | NC State Ext. |
| Canadian serviceberry Amelanchier canadensis not in ASPCA list | 3–8 | shrub | 15 ft - 25 ft tall | B | NC State Ext. |
| Flowering dogwood Cornus florida not in ASPCA list | 5–9 | tree | 15 ft - 25 ft tall | C | NC State Ext. |
| White fringetree Chionanthus virginicus not in ASPCA list | 3–9 | tree | 12 ft - 30 ft tall | C | NC State Ext. |
| American plum Prunus americana ASPCA: toxic to dogs, cats | 3–9 | tree | 15 ft - 25 ft tall | not rated | NC State Ext. |
No plants match.
Why does a Bradford pear smell?
NC State Extension: Callery pear is one of the first trees to bloom in spring, covered with white flowers that have "an objectionable, foul smell"; the 0.75–1 inch, five-petaled blooms are "malodorous"[1]. Penn State Extension: "The blossoms produce a strong, rancid odor"[2].
Why Bradford pears split
NC State Extension: branches grow at upright angles "with weak crotches that break with age, wind and ice"; the Bradford cultivar "develops tight crotches that are likely to be split in half by heavy wind and rainstorms." It grows up to 50 ft tall and is relatively short-lived[1]. Clemson Extension notes the trees "often break during storms"[4].
Is my tree a Bradford (Callery) pear? (6)
- Flowers: creamy white, five petals, ¾–1 inch, in dense clusters, early spring, often before the leaves[1][2]; bad smell[1][2].
- Leaves: alternate, simple, glossy, ovate, 1–3 inches, wavy rounded-toothed edges, dark green above and paler beneath; reddish-purple to bronze-red in fall[1].
- Fruit: tiny hard pears about ½ inch, green to brown with pale dots[2].
- Branches: tight upright forks; branches may be tipped with a thorn (wild trees can be very thorny)[1].
- Look-alikes: flowering dogwood and viburnums have similar rounded leaves but they are opposite, not alternate; alternate-leaf dogwood branches come out in whorls, not tight upright forks[2].
- Other Callery cultivars named by NC State Extension include 'Aristocrat', 'Autumn Blaze', 'Capital' and 'Chanticleer'[1].
How to remove a Bradford pear (4)
- Clemson Extension "highly recommend[s]" a licensed tree professional for tree removal, and says cut stumps should be treated immediately with glyphosate or triclopyr so stumps and large roots don't resprout[4].
- MDC: cut medium to large trees and treat stumps immediately with glyphosate or triclopyr at a 25–50% solution; pull seedlings by hand in moist soil, taking the whole root[3].
- Penn State: cutting must be followed by herbicide on the cut surface or on resprouts; water-based mixes must go on the freshly cut surface immediately, oil-based (triclopyr ester) mixes can go on the cut surface and stump sides any time after cutting[2].
- Always read and follow the herbicide label[2].
Bradford pear bounty / buyback programs (free native trees)
| State | Program (official) |
|---|---|
| North Carolina | NC Bradford Pear Bounty: pre-register, bring before/after photos, one free native tree per pear removed, up to five. Last listed events were spring 2026 (Hayesville, Asheville, Hendersonville, Burlington)[5]. |
| South Carolina | Clemson Extension + SC Forestry Commission: exchange up to five Bradford pears for free native trees; pre-registration required. 2027 dates listed: Bennettsville Mar 6, Columbia Mar 13, Fort Mill Mar 20, Clemson Apr 17[4]. |
| Missouri | Callery Pear Buyback (MDC + Missouri Invasive Plant Council and partners): one free native tree; 2026 registration ran Mar 16–Apr 16 with pickup Apr 21[6]. |
| Kentucky | UK Martin-Gatton CAFE Extension + Kentucky Division of Forestry: fall 2026 bounty events at county Extension offices for any Kentucky resident[7]. Call your county office for dates. |
Bradford pear swaps by stateIs Bradford pear illegal in my state?Barberry & burning bush replacementsDeer-resistant plants by zone
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