Watch it! That tree is protected.
April 6th, 2008At the end of a long day, I love driving north on Route 11 in the early spring and seeing the Bradford Pear trees in full bloom.
Their bright white blossoms against a blue sky are arresting. On a gray day, it almost looks like the trees have been covered by a mysterious selective snowfall.
I can remember when these pear trees were planted in the late ’80s or early ’90s.
The town manager is a great lover of trees - a Johnny Appleseed of Woodstock. The funny twist to the story is that his last name is Bradford. When one suggests a connection between his choice of tree and his last name, he just grins.
The Bradford Pear is actually native to Korea and China and wasn’t introduced in the United States until the early 1900s and according to the Master Gardeners, the variety did not become commercial until the 1960s.
You will find these trees in many Shenandoah Valley towns. The Bradford Pear is an ornamental tree that has a nearly perfect shape. Its profuse early bloom is desirable and its leaves turn either a deep red or bright orange-red in the fall which is quite a flamboyant addition on my ride to and from work.
I will warn you, however, if you think to yourself “I should take a picture of that tree - it looks so pretty” do it as soon as you can. All too often that happens to me and when I remember to throw the camera in the car, the blossoms have blown away or the leaves have dropped.
While the Bradford is called a pear tree, it does not really bear pears. It does have a small, round brown fruit (a little bigger than a cherry) which will litter the ground briefly and are enjoyed by area birds.
Another reason you will often find these trees along roadways in towns and cities is because they are very tolerant to pollution. They also tolerate most soil types and conditions, are resistant to most pests and require little attention. They usually need to be replaced about every 25 years.
I have noticed that quite a few homeowners also choose to use the Bradford Pear tree in the landscaping around their homes and along long driveways. If you choose to use these trees keep in mind that they are susceptible to wind storms and heavy snows because of their pyramid shape and weak wood.
The Bradford Pears are not the only trees showing off their genetic splendor in these early spring days. Other ornamental trees that are starting to bloom are dogwoods and redbuds.
What I love most about these trees is that you will find them in the wild all over the mountains that surround the Shenandoah Valley. When you are hiking on trails or wandering around wooded lots, you will find these trees happily showing off under a canopy of larger trees.
I’ve been a tree-watcher all my life. When I was a girl, my mother would pack my brother and me into the car and we would drive into Highland County to see the beautiful dogwoods.
We learned that not only is the dogwood beautiful, but it is the state tree of Virginia and, she warned us, the dogwood is protected by the law.
My brother and I once were riding our bikes along a trail between Aunt Helen and Aunt Claudine’s houses and he ran into a small dogwood tree, ripping off a small, flowering branch. We picked up the branch and took it to Aunt Claudine in tears because we were afraid the tree police were going to arrest us for harming its protected branches.
Needless to say, Scott did not have to do hard time for his transgression. But we did learn a new route between the houses.
Come to the Valley this spring! The beautiful blossoms await you.