Callery pear is native to Asia and was brought to Maryland in 1918 as rootstock for cultivated pears. This tree became the second most popular tree in America by the 1980s. This ornamental, deciduous tree can grow up to 40 feet in height. The shiny green leaves are alternate, simple and two to three inches long. Their margins are wavy with a slightly-toothed margin.The overall shape of the tree is often described as teardropped or spade-like. The bark is scaly and gray-brown in color. Abundant small, malodorous, white flowers appear in spring before the leaves emerge. Fruits are under half an inch in diameter and green to brown in color. The “Bradford” variety of pear was supposed to produce sterile fruits, but more recent cultivars were created to resist splitting by wind and snow. These trees were able to cross pollinate and produced viable seeds that are spread by wildlife. It also spreads vegetatively.
