County tree, spawned in a laboratory decades ago, is out of control

Non-native Bradford pear deemed ecological threat

‘‘We thought we really shouldn’t have that as the county tree,” said Esther Mitchell, coordinator of the 63-member Prince George’s County Master Gardeners, a program of the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension.

The Bradford pear, a popular landscaping tree because of its white springtime blossoms, also is considered a nuisance because its branches tend to split in bad weather, Mitchell said.

The Master Gardeners recently convinced county lawmakers to take up their cause.

County Councilwoman Marilynn M. Bland (D-Dist. 9) of Clinton proposed a resolution April 22 that would repeal the Bradford pear as the official county tree, a status it has held since the early 1970s.

The resolution, which also calls for creating a workgroup to determine an alternative county tree, must go through a legislative committee and be passed by the council before it gets enacted.

Bland proposed the resolution after she, Councilman Tony Knotts (D-Dist. 8) of Temple Hills and Department of Public Works and Transportation officials met with the Master Gardeners in February to discuss the tree, Bland aide David Billings said.

The Bradford pear has been ‘‘far more negative than positive” for the county, Billings said.

Although people have been aware of problems associated with the Bradford pear for years, Billings said this is the first concerted effort to remove it from county tree status.

‘‘It’s an issue that’s been out there, but nobody has pushed it, and it’s getting worse and worse every year,” he said.

The Bradford pear was created at a U.S. Department of Agriculture research center in Glenn Dale in the 1960s. The tree is a hybrid of species native to China, and was designed to be a resilient landscaping tree.

Bradford pears reach a maximum height of 30 to 50 feet over a lifespan of 25 to 30 years.

‘‘It was considered to be a good urban tree, good for planting just about anywhere because it required little to no maintenance,” DPWT spokeswoman Susan Hubbard said.

But after being planted widely over the years by homeowners and local governments, the Bradford pear has gotten out of hand.

Today, the tree is a weed-like pest that can choke off native species because it is self-propagating and it grows faster than many other plants and trees, Mitchell said.

‘‘The seeds fall down, and if it they hit fertile ground, another will spring up. It’s a full-grown tree by the time you notice it,” she said. ‘‘It’s taking away from the other trees that are native here.”

The National Park Service’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the Bradford pear as an ecological threat to the mid-Atlantic in a publication on invasive species because the tree is ‘‘aggressively invading natural and disturbed open areas.”

Another problem with the tree is its notoriously fragile branches, Mitchell said.

‘‘It has weak wood that breaks in severe thunderstorms or high winds,” she said. Split branches can pose a danger on roadways and near power lines, and are a headache for homeowners.

The county stopped planting Bradford pears along roadways in 2002 because it is weak and is difficult to control, Hubbard said.

George Sliker, owner of Green Landing Nursery in Upper Marlboro, said Bradford pears are still popular among homeowners in spite of their difficulties.

‘‘We sell them, but with hesitation. We try to educate the public,” he said.

The Master Gardeners have recommended selecting the native Allegheny serviceberry as the new county tree, Mitchell said.

The Allegheny serviceberry has white flowers in the spring and produces berries in the summer. In the fall, its leaves turn ‘‘a nice golden yellow color,” Mitchell said.

But Hubbard said the serviceberry is not likely to be the new county tree because it would not be a good one to plant in medians and on roadsides.

‘‘Although it is a lovely tree, it grows wide and has berries, which would create bird and stain issues,” she said.

Sliker said he welcomes the idea of replacing the Bradford pear with a native species as the official county tree.

‘‘I think it would be a good move for the county to pick a tree that would not come back to haunt them,” he said.

E-mail Andy Zieminski at azieminski@gazette.net.