Harrisburg, PA – The PA Department
of Agriculture added Callery pear, or Pyrus calleryana, commonly called
Bradford Pear to a list of noxious weeds — plants that cannot be legally sold
or cultivated in the state. The popular, non-native, flowering fruit tree
naturalizes, spreading from planted landscapes, crowding out other plants and
disrupting native ecosystems. The ban on sale and cultivation will take effect
February 9, 2022 with enforcement phased in over two years.
“Callery pear is another
non-native plant that was brought to this country for its beauty and rapid
growth, without regard for its long-term potential to harm our environment and
food supply,” said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “Banning
the sale of an invasive plant is an important tool to stop its spread and is a
step we take only after careful consideration of the damage it causes and its
potential for continued harm to our ecosystem and economy.”
Enforcement of the ban will be
phased in over two years to allow time for nurseries and landscaping businesses
to eliminate it from their stock and replace the trees with alternatives that
pose less threat to the environment and agriculture. The department has
established an exemption procedure for breeders who own the rights to varieties
that have been researched and proven sterile, and will consider exempting these
varieties from the ban.
Callery pear was brought to the
U.S. in the early 1900s by researchers looking for a fire blight-resistant
species that could be bred with European pear to increase fruit production. It
has garnered attention in recent years as a prolific invader that can easily
spread into woodlands, pastures, fields and natural areas.
Property owners should control the
tree’s spread on their land and consider native alternatives when planting new
trees. Find native alternatives and information on how to control the plant on
the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources website, dcnr.pa.gov.
The timeline for the two-year
rollout of the ban is as follows:
Winter 2021 – Callery pear added to Pennsylvania’s Controlled plant and
Noxious Weed list as a Class B weed. Class B weeds are those that are so
prolific they cannot realistically be eradicated. These plants are targeted for
control measures.
February 2022 – Nursery and landscape businesses will receive notice
from the department, advising them to immediately begin adjusting propagation,
ordering and planting of Callery Pear to decrease inventory.
February 2023 – The department will issue letters of warning to any
plant merchant still selling Callery Pear, providing a date in February 2024
after which remaining inventory will be subject to a destruction order.
February 2024 – The department will issue Stop Sale and destruction
orders to plant merchants selling or distributing Callery Pear.
Merchants with questions should
contact ra-plant@pa.gov.
Find more information about
Callery pear and other noxious, controlled and poisonous plants in
Pennsylvania visit agriculture.pa.gov.
For comprehensive information about controlling numerous invasive plants in
Pennsylvania, visit:https://extension.psu.edu/forests-and-wildlife/forest-management/invasive-and-competing-plants.