Most of those white-blooming trees you’re seeing as the harbinger of Spring around Richmond are the Bradford Pear – and it’s not good!
The Bradford Pear is an invasive, non-native species out-competing our native trees, has poor branch structure and break easily, is not a host to native birds and butterflies, and smells like rotting flesh. Some homeowners and cities, like Charlotte, North Carolina are even cutting them down and replacing them with non-invasive, native trees.
Some great white flowering alternatives are:
- Serviceberry (Amelanchier)
- Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)
- Redbud ‘Royal White’ (Cercis canadensis)
Why You Shouldn’t Plant a Bradford Pear Tree But Some People Do Anyway