What is a callery pear?
Native to Asia, the Callery pear ( Pyrus calleryana) was originally introduced to the United States in the early 1900s as rootstock for domesticated pears. It is also known as "Bradford" pear, a name given to its most widely planted landscaping cultivar. Starting in the 1960s, Callery pear has been widely planted as a street and ornamental tree.
Can Callery pear seeds be cross-pollinated?
Though cultivars of this species were bred to produce sterile fruit, cross-pollination between different varieties has resulted in viable seeds. When different cultivars of Callery pear are grown within insect-pollination distance, they often produce fertile seeds that can sprout once dispersed.
Do Callery pears like full sun?
Callery pear also spreads vegetatively, sending up new shoots from its shallow root system. Though tolerant of partial shade, Callery pears prefer full sun and are often found along roadsides, in old fields and hedgerows, and along forest edges. Individual small plants can be pulled by hand.
What's killing the Callery pear?
Close to a century ago, when the tree arrived on U.S. soil (they are native to China and Vietnam), fire blight fungus was destroying pear crops, according to a 2007 BioScience article about the Callery pear by University of Cincinnati researchers.
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Can you eat fruit from Callery pear tree?
They do set fruit, which can range in size from a BB up to a large crabapple. They are not edible by humans, but the birds love them and eat them and then scatter the seeds -- causing even more callery pears.
What is a Callery pear used for?
This species is widely used as a rootstock, especially for cultivars of Pyrus pyrifolia. It is said to induce earlier bearing. The wood of this species is hard and close-grained, and is sometimes used for making furniture and stools.
Can you eat the fruit of a Bradford pear tree?
ANSWER: The little berries (aka pomes) are the the fruit of the Bradford Pear, and are considered inedible by humans.
Are there pears that are not edible?
Pears belong to the genus Pyrus of the Rosaceae family. Species are typically divided into two groupings: the fruiting varieties, and the non-fruiting or ornamental ones. The ornamentals may produce small fruits, but they're generally inedible.
What animals eat callery pears?
Callery pears have a mixed rating on wildlife value; on the one hand, bees and other insects visit the flowers in spring and a few species of songbirds eat the fruit after it softens in the winter.
How do you identify a pear Callery?
To identify Callery pear look for a small tree with alternately arranged teardrop shape rippled leaves with finely toothed margins. The bark is gray brown and becomes scaly with age. White flowers in early spring form and in bundles, have a rancid odor followed by the appearance of clusters of hard fruits.
What is the difference between a Callery pear and a Bradford pear?
For example, all Bradford pears are Callery pears, but not all Callery pears are Bradford pears. The Bradford pear variety was created to produce no seeds or thorns, making it safer to grow and less invasive than other Callery pear cultivars.
Are callery pears poisonous to dogs?
Hello, Kate: Pyrus calleryana 'Bradford' certainly has its negatives but its foliage being poisonous is not one of them. According to the ASPCA list of toxic plants, the foliage of your ornamental pear is not considered toxic.
Are the berries on Bradford pear trees poisonous?
The fruits of these trees have seeds which are, to varying extents, poisonous. They contain cyanogenic glycoside, a form of cyanide combined with fruit sugars.
How do I know if my pears are edible?
Pears ripen from the inside out, so you can't judge their ripeness by looking at the skin. To test if a pear is ripe, apply gentle pressure near the stem end. If it gives slightly, it's most likely ready to be eaten. Pears are one of the few fruits that don't ripen successfully on the tree.
What is the sweetest tasting pear?
Comice. Comice pears were originally cultivated in France. They're known as the sweetest pear variety, and are often the variety shipped in gift boxes. Because of this, they're sometimes given the nickname “the Christmas pear.” Comice pears have light green skin with a blush of pinkish red.
What is the best tasting pear?
Comice pears are perhaps the best pears for eating raw. They have a great fruity aroma and flavor, as well as a slightly finer, less grainy texture than other pear varieties. They are almost a cross between a Bosc pear and an Asian pear. Comice pears are slightly more rounded and apple-shaped than other pears.
What can you do with pear wood?
Common Uses: Veneer, architectural millwork, marquetry, inlay, carving, musical instruments, furniture, cabinetry, and turned objects. Comments: It's been said that Pear is used in Europe much in the same way that Black Cherry is used in the United States: as a popular and high-quality domestic hardwood.
What does Callery pear smell like?
Known as the tree with stinky white flowers, Callery pear tree blossoms (Pyrus calleryana) are offensive to most people's sense of smell, with an aroma that contrasts sharply with their rose family relatives. Instead of sweetly perfumed roses, callery pear flowers smell like rotten fish.
What is the difference between a Callery pear and a Bradford Pear?
For example, all Bradford pears are Callery pears, but not all Callery pears are Bradford pears. The Bradford pear variety was created to produce no seeds or thorns, making it safer to grow and less invasive than other Callery pear cultivars.
How do I get rid of Callery pear?
Seedlings and shallow-rooted plants can be pulled when soil is moist. Medium to large trees should be cut down and stumps treated with a systemic glyphosate or triclopyr-based herbicide (see Control Options).
Background
Native to Asia, the Callery pear ( Pyrus calleryana) was originally introduced to the United States in the early 1900s as rootstock for domesticated pears. It is also known as "Bradford" pear, a name given to its most widely planted landscaping cultivar. Starting in the 1960s, Callery pear has been widely planted as a street and ornamental tree.
Description
Size: A small tree, rarely more than 40 feet tall with a trunk less than 1 foot in diameter.
Look-alikes
Native flowering dogwood ( Cornus florida) and viburnums ( Viburnum spp.) have similarly rounded, leathery leaves, but they are oppositely arranged, unlike the alternate arrangement of Callery pear.
Dispersal
Though cultivars of this species were bred to produce sterile fruit, cross-pollination between different varieties has resulted in viable seeds. When different cultivars of Callery pear are grown within insect-pollination distance, they often produce fertile seeds that can sprout once dispersed.
Site
Though tolerant of partial shade, Callery pears prefer full sun and are often found along roadsides, in old fields and hedgerows, and along forest edges.
Control
Individual small plants can be pulled by hand. However, all roots must be removed when pulling because root fragments often resprout. Cutting or mowing effectively eliminates the low cover and provides access to overgrown sites, but plants will readily resprout. Isolated individuals with larger stems can be targeted with a chainsaw.
Management Calendar
The management calendar for Callery pear is quite flexible. Note that flowering occurs before leaf out in this species. Basal bark or cut stump treatments provide a year-round window of opportunity.
Edible parts of Callery Pear
Fruit - raw or cooked. Best used after it has been exposed to frost, since this will soften and sweeten the flesh. The fruit is about 25mm in diameter.
Habitat of the herb
Thickets and streamsides to 1500 metres. Slopes, plains, mixed valley forests and thickets at elevations of 100 - 1800 metres.
Other uses of Callery Pear
This species is widely used as a rootstock, especially for cultivars of Pyrus pyrifolia. It is said to induce earlier bearing. The wood of this species is hard and close-grained, and is sometimes used for making furniture and stools.
Propagation of the herb
Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the autumn, it will then usually germinate in mid to late winter. Stored seed requires 8 - 10 weeks cold stratification at 1�C and should be sown as early in the year as possible. Temperatures over 15 - 20�C induce a secondary dormancy in the seed.
Cultivation of Callery Pear
Thickets and streamsides to 1500 metres. Slopes, plains, mixed valley forests and thickets at elevations of 100 - 1800 metres.
Background
Description
- Size:A small tree, rarely more than 40 feet tall with a trunk less than 1 foot in diameter. Leaves:Alternately arranged, rounded or teardrop-shaped, thick, waxy, and approximately 1½ to 3 inches long and wide. The leaf edge, or margin, is finely toothed and has a distinct ripple or wave. Leaves showing wavy, serrated edge. Flowers:Several white, fi...
Look-Alikes
- Native flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) and viburnums (Viburnum spp.) have similarly rounded, leathery leaves, but they are oppositely arranged, unlike the alternate arrangement of Callery pear. Alternate-leaf dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) also flowers alternately but has a unique growth form where its branches emerge in whorls rather than in the tight, upright forks of Caller…
Dispersal
- Though cultivars of this species were bred to produce sterile fruit, cross-pollination between different varieties has resulted in viable seeds. When different cultivars of Callery pear are grown within insect-pollination distance, they often produce fertile seeds that can sprout once dispersed. The resulting wild individuals can interbreed and produce more viable seed, furthering expansio…
Site
- Though tolerant of partial shade, Callery pears prefer full sun and are often found along roadsides, in old fields and hedgerows, and along forest edges.
Control
- Individual small plants can be pulled by hand. However, all roots must be removed when pulling because root fragments often resprout. Cutting or mowing effectively eliminates the low cover and provides access to overgrown sites, but plants will readily resprout. Isolated individuals with larger stems can be targeted with a chainsaw. For mowing and cutting to be effective, it must b…
Management Calendar
- The management calendar for Callery pear is quite flexible. Note that flowering occurs before leaf out in this species. Basal bark or cut stump treatments provide a year-round window of opportunity.
Treatment and Timing
- Callery pear has a long foliar application window. Basal bark and stump treatments can be made anytime the weather permits. Product names reflect the current Pennsylvania state herbicide contract; additional brands with the same active ingredients are available. Prepared by Skylure Templeton, Art Gover, Dave Jackson, and Sarah Wurzbacher. Reviewed by Norris Muth, Amy Jew…