Hawthorn (Crataegus).

Callery pear?

ha, never thought of that floral. We don't see CP's here.

If it's hawthorn, I can't believe I've never seen one of those before. Well, well, well. By the looks of it on Wikipedia, hawthorn is a plant I want in my garden. I want more! It doesn't sound as though it's easy to grow from cuttings. Anyone tried?

These are spurs rather than thorns.

Yes, the thorns on Hawthorns are definitely sharp and they don't have buds on the ends.

I agree.....very likely Pyrus calleryana, which is an invasive species that has naturalized across much of the country but most intensely along the eastern seaboard and in New England. It won't be hard to tell for sure, as these will very shortly be in bloom and the rank odor they emit while flowering will be extremely noticeable.

Not something you want to encourage at all :-))

" Embothrium These are spurs rather than thorns."

I think that is an academic distinction. When you run that into your finger you are going to say the same magic words, what ever its technical definition. ;-)

Also if you run over one with your mower, or other vehicle with pneumatic tires, both well cause the tire be equally flat. ;-)

It's not a thorn. That's why I was surprised by the hawthorn label (but whaddo I know?). It's like a tree with thalidomide-damaged branches. Maybe I'm being offensive if I say that? Apologies: there are no joints or articulations except an occasional branch.

I'm not sure we have this ID nailed.

Y'all have turned me onto hawthorns, in the meantime. Maybe you could recommend a species somewhere in this thread?

Looks like I can get a native hawthorn. Winter King or Crusader Cocksburn? Do you pronounce that Kō-burn like the port? Or like the rooster?

The pronunciation is academic since the tree is a Cockspur, not a Cockburn.

'Y'all have turned me onto hawthorns'

Anytime I can help, just let me know. lol :-)

Just make sure to get rid of that pear tree. It appears to be growing in too much shade anyways, causing that abnormal branching.

LMAO floral.... At least (to use a garden metaphor), I'm cultivated.

We're sure it's a pear tree? It does look like an alien invader. Am I to chop it off ASAP and then dig it out? I'm thinking it has red paint at the bottom of the trunk, so might be right on top of the electric lines....

Pretty close to being sure :-) But you will know for sure in a few weeks when it starts to flower.....the scent is unmistakable, giving rise to the nickname of "semen trees"!!

Yes, it's one of those evil pear trees. I just saw some comparables online, weird spurs and all..

What kind of an implement do I use to cut that thing down? (I'm new at this and will have to buy whatever it is.) How do I keep shoots from coming back?

Cut the tree off with a saw, close to the ground as you can (1" tall stump?). Then immediately take some undiluted, 41% Glyphosate (roundup concentrate) and carefully paint the freshly cut face of the stump with enough to wet the top, without spilling it into the ground.

Make sure the tree is no longer dormant and is actively growing.

I'm not excited about using Roundup. Any alternatives?

Triclopyr is actually more effective on woody plants than is RoundUp. If you do not wish to use any herbicide then digging out the stump is the alternative.

And get a a saw for trees ie a bowsaw or pruning saw. Don't try and do it with your woodworking kit.

I just use Glyphosate bc it's what I have left around here from my farming days. A pint bottle will last a homeowner for years if all you use it for is killing unwanted trees like European buckthorn. Ask me how I know. ;-)

If the tree is larger than a few inches in diameter, a chain saw will make short work of the trunk. Then a shovel and an axe can be used to dig around the stump and chop through the laterals and tap root, if any. It's a job but then you don't have an unwanted stump to deal with. A really big stump will need to be ground out with a machine.

I don't know if a Callery pear will sprout shoots from the left over laterals or not.

Sometimes it's easier to bury a large diameter stump than hire a guy with a stump grinding machine that probably won't grind down more than a foot. I plant sedums on some stumps.

I'm thinking this one's 2-3 inches in diameter.

Just crosscut the top with your saw and put saltpeter on it for good measure, if you want. Yes, no more RoundUp in our biosphere, please!!!

The ugly sucker has met its demise....

How do we know it wasn't a Bartlett Pear??

Too late....

How do you buy saltpeter? Does it come in jars? Bags? By the ounce at the co-op? By prescription?

Saltpetre is the correct term. It's an oxidizer.

You can buy it under the product name 'stump remover' @ walmart, ace etc.

Stump remover:

eta: I hear there are some brands that don't contain saltpetre (potassium nitrate) anymore so you might want to check the ingredients before you buy. The ones without saltpetre may work fine idk but supposedly saltpetre works the best.

I have a friend who started a compost pile on top of a stump he had.