The invasive Bradford pears are everywhere. I use those at Arrowhead to teach about seed dispersal throwing a few jabs at the ^%#^% invasives. I remember during the Blizzard of '93 a great many of the Bradford (or Callary) Pear trees were split apart by the weight of the snow. And they are smelly.
This is the time of year when I am reminded that callery pears (Pyrus calleryana) are an invasive plant in the southeastern US. For most of the year the pears are not noticeable from a distance and my memory slips. Come spring, however, their stinky white blooms open up earlier than almost any native tree (red maples have them beat), revealing every nook and cranny that they have managed to occupy. (Click the picture to read the story.)
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