talked to a biologist at the University of Cincinnati about a pretty but invasive flowering tree from Asia that is taking over forests and highway medians across Ohio.
UC College of Arts and Sciences Professor Theresa Culley, head of UC's Department of Biological Sciences, told WLWT-5 that Callery pear trees are common sights in forests where their seeds are spread by birds.
The first pear trees planted by horticulturists in the United States were intentionally sterile to prevent their spreading into the wild. But to fix a problem with the trees' weak trunk that were prone to splitting after a few years, growers introduced other varieties that bees and other insects cross-pollinated to produce viable fruit.
Today, Callery pears with their white spring flowers are a common sight in Southwest Ohio.
Ohio gradually implemented a ban on the sale or purchase of Callery pear trees after giving growers years to phase out their sale.
Culley said she encourages people to replace the nonnative trees with native species.
MetroParks of Butler County launched a new promotion it calls "Pearmageddon," offering to provide a free native tree to homeowners who want to replace their pear trees. The offer is good for other nonnative, invasive species such as Burning Bush or Japanese Barberry through April 2.
"A lot of people really love their tree. In the early spring, there's a chemical treatment that they can spray on the tree when it's blooming, to prevent fruits from being produced. Not a lot of people choose that," she said.
Featured image at top: UC Professor Theresa Culley says the Callery pear tree has become an invasive species across Ohio. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC
UC Biological Sciences Department Head Theresa Culley gazes up at a forest canopy made up almost entirely by invasive pear trees at the Harris M. Benedict Nature Preserve in this file photo. Culley explained how pear trees have taken root in forest clearings at parks across Ohio. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II/UC
