You can plant them anywhere as long as it's far enough from house, cars, etc. They tend to break apart after 15-25 years. Don't use them as shade trees but use them as ornamental trees for pleasure viewing for spring flowers and fall color. Next time, drop a hint that you'd like shantung maple... similar size, nice fall color, fast growth and a lot stronger...

We still have our Bradford Pear that was planted 25 years ago. It gets wind shelter from a Pecan and an oak, otherwise I think it would have blown down by now. Not only are they susceptible to wind breakage, but as they get older their form suffers. When it's in bloom in the early spring it is a sight to see, and the fall color is nice too. Plant them, and enjoy them as long as they last, but put them in an area where if they are lost, they don't impact the look of your landscape. I would not get another, but I have enjoyed the one we have. BTW, the squirrels love to build their nests in ours.

full sun, average water. good for 10 years maybe, with vigorous pruning. They were planted heavily in my nieghborhood, now 15 years old, and just about all of them have been removed, most by 10-11 years, due to the large, heavy limbs splitting at the base and threatening houses. But they were pretty while they lasted. Wind protection if you can, someplace where if a 15 foot limb splits at the trunk it does no damage to structures. Again, good pruning will take care of that danger.

terry

umm... you *could* plant them in a bad spot where they might accidentally die...

I almost hate to admit it, but I kind of like prairiepaintbrush's idea.
They are attrative trees for a couple of weeks in the spring and a couple of weeks in the fall. The rest of the year, their terrible branching structure is all I see when I look at them.

Randy

In the winter when the leaves are off the trees, the branch structure is a bit unattractive, but I've also seen worse. I think when they are pretty young, like under 10 years, they have a beautiful form when fully leafed out, and the leaves rustle very nicely in the wind. No pests seem to bother them. They may be a weak tree, but they are NOT a trash tree. They have many positive atributes.

They flower so that's a plus! I'm ditto on putting them where they won't cause damage if they break apart.PJ

They are pretty in spring and fall, but I'm with you...not a tree I would have picked myself. You could um...forget to water them in August. :=)

I am in the process of getting rid of 2 in my yard that the developer put in. the first one came up easy...the rootball was still in the same shape of what must have been the original pot. I saw what IKe did out here and I do not want that to happen to my house. Here in Sugar Land it looked like the majority of trees that snapped and fell apart were Bradford pears. In fact, the city removed most of them and have planted Oaks and other native trees in its place.

Icon,

If you want a peace of mind, I suggest that you look at 'Nanjing Beauty' cypress. It is a cross between bald cypress and montezuma cypress. It doesn't produce knees like bald cypress does so that's a big plus and bald cypress is known as "hurricane" proof tree. Shantung maple is also a good one to replace bradford. Rated one of best wind and ice storm resistant conducted by Kansas State University. It didn't seem to be bothered much when Ike came through at my mom's house in Houston. Plenty of pine trees fell though. I'd never plant those pines! Live oak is a very strong tree against hurricane but they are really overplanted esp when we have oak wilt to worry about. Other oak species do decent against hurricanes when properly cared for.

Here is a link that might be useful: Nanjing Beauty.

Where is the weekend place where they will be planted?

Lou,

Thanks for the tips!
Probably in the next month or so, I will be looking for a maple or 2. I have 1 bald cypress. It is in the back, I am hoping that since I planted it in semi-sandy soil, that it will not develop knees. Sugar Land south of 90 is right on the edge of sandy soil/clay mix. Also, it is planted in a more elevated area of the yard.
My lot is pentagon shaped, I am trying to keeps the sides free for planting fruit trees. Back area is for shade trees. I will take a look at the links you provided me.

I wouldn't argue with the advice you have received for B Pears in that area.

I do think you can probably have some nice trees for a time if planted in a site they like where they can't damage anything else if/when they split.

Up here on the plains where they grow a little slower and can't get invasive I planted some 25 years ago and they are going strong.