ROSACEAE - - Rose Family

* Pyrus calleryana Decaisne — Bradford Pear, Callery Pear

* not native to the United States

Bradford Pear, Callery Pear (Pyrus calleryana) - A small tree, to 10 m. tall, with upswept branches. This is the parent species of the Bradford Pear, a widely planted clonal selection used as an ornamental tree, with spineless twigs. Seed from the Bradford Pear is spread by birds that feed on the small fruits, and seedlings of these "reversions" to the parent species have formed thickets on rich soils in various areas of the SE. Twigs moderately slender, with spinose spur shoots. On mature branches, the buds are 10—15 mm. long, with loose, hairy, grayish scales; leaf scars small, darkened, lined beneath. Fruit globose, about 1 cm. in diameter, brown with pale dots. Leaves crenate-serrate, glabrous. Native to China.

Habitat:

Commonly planted and persistent, now an aggressive naturalizer in fields, roadsides, and disturbed areas across most of our region; native of China. Some of the stock naturalizing may be of hybrids and horticultural selections involving additional species, including P. betulifolia Bunge and P. bretschneideri Rehder.

Habitat information from:
Weakley, Alan S., Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States, Working Draft of 21 May 2015.

The range of Pyrus calleryana (Bradford Pear, Callery Pear)

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2015. North American Plant Atlas. (http://bonap.net/napa). Chapel Hill, N.C. [maps generated from Kartesz, J.T. 2015. Floristic Synthesis of North America, Version 1.0. Biota of North America Program (BONAP). (in press)].

The Georgia range of Pyrus calleryana (Bradford Pear, Callery Pear)

Zomlefer, W.B., J.R. Carter, & D.E. Giannasi. 2014 (and ongoing). The Atlas of Georgia Plants. University of Georgia Herbarium (Athens, Georgia) and Valdosta State University Herbarium (Valdosta, Georgia). Available at: http://www.georgiaherbaria.org/.