В Иллинойсе с 2028 года станет незаконным продавать инвазивные груши Браффорда

When we moved to our new subdivision in 1992, our neighbors were new, too, and we shared the excitement of making new friends, turning our new houses into homes and adding grass and landscaping to our bare lots. The city planted trees in the parkways—a random assortment that included maples, locusts, oaks and Bradford pears. In the early years, spring was announced by the white blossoms on the lovely, teardrop shaped Bradford pear trees. It was beautiful! So beautiful that many of my neighbors added these trees to their home landscapes. That was then and this is now. I have written previously about Bradford pears (Pyrus calleryana), sharing my thoughts and emotions with you over the years and they only grow stronger. I fume every spring when their white blooms in the forest preserves shout out that they are choking out native species of trees and plants with the dense thickets they are creating. I fume when I walk through the neighborhood as the fruits fall and cover the sidewalks. I fume when I scrape the mashed fruits from my shoes. I fume when I see the birds enjoying the fruits only to then fly over the forest preserves and along the highways and byways depositing (if you catch my drift) the seeds. And! As these trees mature, their structure becomes brittle due to their narrow branch angles and they are very likely to have large branches break off during our varied storms- ice storms, snowstorms, thunderstorms and windstorms, causing damage to their owner’s property. If you notice trees that have been trimmed with large branches removed leaving an ugly, misshaped tree, it probably is a Bradford pear. The good news is that the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has designated Bradford pear trees as an invasive species, adding it to the Illinois Exotic Weed Act. On January 1, 2028, it will be illegal to buy, distribute or sell them in Illinois. If you have them on your property, you are encouraged, but not legally required, to remove them. If you see them on sale, DON’T buy them! Recommended replacements include American plum (Prunus americana), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), redbud (Cercis canadensis) and serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis). This is a wonderful time to visit the Morton Arboretum and learn about trees that are appropriate for your home landscape.