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Shade Tree Commission urges removal of invasive Callery (Bradford) pear, outlines planting plan
Summary
Shade Tree Commission leaders described ecological and public‑safety problems posed by Callery (Bradford) pears, urged residents not to plant them and promoted native alternatives and local planting programs and permits.
The Cranford Shade Tree Commission used its April “Tree of the Month” segment to warn residents that Callery pear (commonly sold as Bradford pear) is invasive, short‑lived and prone to damage and to outline local efforts to replace specimens with native trees.
Eric Asher, superintendent of the Shade Tree Commission, and commissioner Denise Alvarez said Callery pears spread through bird‑dispersed fruit and form dense thickets that crowd out native understory plants; the commission advised removal and replacement where feasible. Asher said the town’s 2017 tree survey recorded 409 Callery pear trees on public property and that the commission replaces public trees “as time and budgets allow.”
Asher said the tree was introduced to the United States in the 20th century and is popular because it tolerates poor soils and insects, but he warned the species hybridizes with native pears and now produces fruit that birds carry into parks and wild areas. He described additional drawbacks: a short life span (often less than 25 years), weak branch structure that breaks in storms, susceptibility to fire blight and an unpleasant bloom odor.
Denise Alvarez highlighted native alternatives the commission recommends for planting: serviceberry, eastern redbud, flowering dogwood, native crabapple and hawthorn. The town’s planting program is active: Asher and the mayor said the Shade Tree Commission planted 40 public trees this season and plans to plant roughly 85 more in the fall; the environmental commission’s Cranford Canopy Project supplies low‑cost trees for private property. Officials said the combined municipal and environmental effort aims to plant about 300 trees per year as capacity for watering and care grows.
The commission also reviewed local rules and outreach: the township’s tree‑removal rules allow homeowners to remove one tree every five years but require a municipal permit; the presenters said the permit is completed at a nominal cost (mentioned as $20 in the program) and helps the township track its public‑tree inventory. The township received a Tree City USA designation from the Arbor Day Foundation and held an Arbor Day proclamation at the township committee earlier in the week.
Ending: The Shade Tree Commission invited residents to attend its monthly meetings (third Monday) and to volunteer as a neighborhood “branch manager” to water and care for street trees. The commission asked homeowners who have Callery pears on private property to consider replacing them with recommended native species.
