Ode to the Callery Pears - Bradford, Cleveland, etc.

14 years ago

I think that I shall never see,

A tree as maligned as the Callery be,

A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed

Against the earthÂs sweet flowing breast;

But multiplies with such a zest,

That some consider it a $@#!*% pest!

A tree that in early spring will wear

Glorious white blossoms as her hair,

(Tho some claim the smell too much to bear??)

A tree that very late in fall,

Boasts red, orange, & purple to enthrall;

How can you hate such a tree at all!!

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray,

The storms wonÂt come & break them away!

Upon whose bosom snow has lain,

Who intimately lives with rain,

But those ice storms - oh, what a pain!!

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God loves the poor Callery tree!

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Comments (9)

brandon7 TN_zone7
14 years ago
Hey, that's pretty good! But, you got waaay too much time on your hands. (-;
Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
14 years ago
Amusing poesy does not distract away from the fact that very, very few professionals think these trees in the larger context are worth a $@#!*% (or a Â¿ÂºâÂ¼Â«Ã¤). Inability to provide professional testimonial contiues to highlight their unsuitability.

Dan
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I wouldn't plant one of the Callery pears, if for no other reason than there are already a zillion of them planted EVERYWHERE around here. It's very obvious because they are in full bloom right now, along with the Forsythia (2 zillion) and those poofy purple azaleas. Thank god there are some nice Magnolias, Redbud, and some early fruit trees blooming otherwise it would get very repetitive.
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Good Sunday morning to you. Maybe something like Nishiki Willow? I've seen one in my neighborhood in NY zone 6, tree form and it puts on a lovely, very dense show. I think it only grows 15' or so and needs lots of water. Plus I'm not sure when they leaf out or lose their leaves or what kind of debris they may drop in your pool though. If you like the look of Nikishi, maybe someone more knowledgeable could recommend something similar yet more appropriate.
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Down here in Maryland, the land where the evil Bradford Pear was first developed, they are a real pest. The article "The Coming Plague of Pears" sums up the threat posed by these wretched trees. When I was growing up in southern New Jersey, the streets along my walk to middle school had a bunch of older Bradford Pears line them. These were larger than any I've seen since, yet within 2 years time, nearly all of them had fallen apart - I must have gotten there right at the very end of their life spans. Down here in Maryland, they are even more common, sadly. The center of the local town was lined with them until June, 2002, when we had very serious thunderstorms - it was this group of storms that dropped the Wye Oak on the Eastern Shore, and that white oak will be missed. Most other trees survived except the stupid Bradford Pears in the center of town were all destroyed. The next year they cut them all down and ripped them, replacing them with some other type of tree that is not a pear. Unfortunately, these trees are still pretty common down here and have basically taken over the nursey industry, at least "big box" stores like Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. When you walk in and look for a tree, 2/3 of them or more will be Callery Pears of some type, and the rest are something useful (if you're lucky). Getting a decent oak or maple is like pulling teeth, but everyone wants pears, right? Ugh!
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I looked again at the invasive list for KY I was looking at and it was just the "top 10" list. So I guess those were the worst and I didn't see callery pears on it. I didn't realize the list was so extensive. If they are invasive why do garden centers and nurseries still sell them to people? The tree will only continue to be sold and planted by unknowing people as long as they don't know any better and people continue to sell them. The tree that my seedling came from is a weeping cherry around 15-20 feet tall so it's not a dwarf variety I'm guessing. The seedling is only about 4 inches tall and is still very young, but has it's own set of roots and wasn't attached onto a larger root from the mother tree. I did a search to see what young seedlings for this tree looks like and it looks to be what it is. I will try to snap a pic of it today and put it on here to double check just for safe measure. I understand I won't get a "pure strain" or whatever but more a cross with whatever cherry tree the mother tree was pollinated with. I don't mind as long as it flowers and has weeping branches. I will allow it to grow for a while and if I see it isn't going to do either of those things later I will shovel prune it. Thank you all so much for all the input. I have only started gardening just this year so I am still learning all the time. I have never cared about flowers or trees before, the interest was only sparked early this spring so I have been planting anywhere and everywhere. lol
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brandon7 TN_zone7
14 years ago
Hey Dan, you could write a poem about how bad they are! (-;
Iris GW
14 years ago
Cute poem - but I'll still cut one down in a heartbeat. Actually I pull out seedlings on a regular basis thanks to my neighbor's ONE tree!!

Recently scouted out some property that is being turned into a sports complex for a local university. Kudzu in the front, then chinese privet, japanese honeysuckle, and further in - hundreds of ornamental pear seedlings! One of the few times that I can say "thank goodness that this will be bulldozed!".

In the areas that were not overtaken by these invasives, we found crested yellow orchid (Platanthera cristata), trilliums, 3 kinds of dogwood, elderberry, buttonbush, and lots of wonderful natives. Luckily most of this is around a lake that will be saved. No way of knowing what wonderful natives were suppressed by the invasives over time.
Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
14 years ago
Shorter esh:

Not even G-- loves a callery pear that is displacing natives.

;o)

Dan
lou_spicewood_tx
14 years ago
Then why does God blow them down after 15 years? I think you're talking about Devil's favorite tree.. He's just doing to make us suffer...
suel41452
Original Author
14 years ago
I did feel bad about bringing G-- into this. I hereby amend the last verse as follows:

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only a fool government agency (without thinking through all the potentially bad consequences, how typical!!)
can make such a tree.
Iris GW
14 years ago
Ha, ha, Sue! That amendment is good.

It does seem like a 'Bradford' pear is one that a "committee" came up with. Full of good ideas, but fails in the execution of those ideas.
iforgotitsonevermind
14 years ago
The poem will be a great way to help common folk understand their problems without getting all up in their business. You know how mad they get when you just try to be frank. From now on I suggest posters of pear problems are directed to the poem on an outside link.

Ode to the Callery Pears - Bradford, Cleveland, etc.

Comments (9)

brandon7 TN_zone7

Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)

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Ode to the Callery Pears - Bradford, Cleveland, etc.

Comments (9)

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suel41452Original Author

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