How to Remove Bradford Pear and Callery Pear

Cutting a Callery pear without treating the stump is the mistake that turns one tree into a thicket. The tree resprouts from its roots, and the fruit feeds the next generation. The first decision is by stem size: pull seedlings, treat the stump or basal bark on larger stems, and remove the fruit before birds carry it away.

What does a Callery pear tree look like?

Callery pear is a small tree, rarely more than 40 feet tall. Its leaves are alternate, rounded or teardrop-shaped, thick and waxy, with a finely toothed, wavy edge. In early spring, white five-petaled flowers open in ball-shaped clusters before the leaves expand, and they smell rancid. In fall, look for tiny hard pears about 1/2 inch across. Naturalized trees can have stout spines even though the original cultivar was bred to be spineless.

Confirm the tree before you cut. The Callery pear species profile has the full identification and look-alike section.

How to get rid of Callery pear

The methods come from Penn State Extension and Ohio State University Extension. Both say the same thing in different words: the top growth is not the problem. The root system is.

Cut and treat the stump

Cut the trunk close to the soil line. If you use a water-based herbicide, apply it to the fresh cut surface within a few minutes. If you use an oil-based product, you have more time, but treat the stump before it resprouts.

Penn State Extension names glyphosate and triclopyr for cut-stump work. Ohio State University Extension also lists 2,4-D plus picloram for some cut-stump products. This page does not give mixing rates. Product strengths differ, and the label for the product in your hand is the only rate that applies. Follow the product label; the label is the law.

For a larger stem, hack-and-squirt is a targeted option. Make downward-angled cuts around the stem and put herbicide into each cut. Leave living tissue between the cuts so the product can move to the roots. Ohio State University Extension gives July through mid-October as the ideal window.

When to remove Callery pear

Callery pear flowers before its leaves expand, so early spring is the easiest time to spot it. The white flowers and the rancid smell make a roadside tree hard to miss. That is a good time to identify and plan, not a reason to cut and walk away.

• Basal bark and cut-stump treatments: year-round when the ground is not frozen and snow or water does not block the lower stem.
• Foliar treatment: mid-May to the onset of fall color, while leaves are green and actively growing.
• Hack-and-squirt: July through mid-October is the ideal window in Ohio.

Both extension programs say cutting alone leads to resprouts. If you cut in spring, treat the stump at once.

What about the bounty and replacement programs?

Pennsylvania runs a statewide replacement program, not a cash bounty. The Pennsylvania Invasive Replace-ive Program offers free native trees and shrubs to property owners who remove one or more listed invasive plants, including Callery pear. In 2026, participants had to be Pennsylvania residents, register in advance, submit a photo showing the removal, and attend an in-person giveaway. The 2026 events ran from May 2 to May 30. Check the program page for the next cycle.

Ohio does not list a statewide Callery pear bounty on the Ohio Department of Agriculture or Ohio Department of Natural Resources pages checked for this guide. Some counties and cities may run local programs, so ask your county soil and water conservation district what is available.

A bounty is not a reason to delay removal if the tree is a hazard or is spreading seed. The tree is a problem whether or not a program helps pay for the replacement.

Native alternative to Callery pear

Do not replace one invasive tree with another. Ohio State University Extension lists native trees for different planting sites, including serviceberry, eastern redbud, flowering dogwood, blackgum, basswood, red maple and river birch. University of Maryland Extension suggests serviceberry and white fringetree.

Match the tree to the site. A species that needs full sun will struggle under a mature canopy, and a tree that grows too large will create the same problem as the Callery pear.

When to call a professional

Call an arborist or a licensed applicator if:

• The tree is large and close to a house, driveway, fence or power line.
• The tree is on a property line or the stand crosses one.
• The thicket is too dense or too thorny to work safely.
• You cannot treat the stump immediately and the tree must come down now.

A hazardous tree still gets the same order of work: plan the cut, treat the stump or root system, and remove the fruit so the next generation does not start on your property.

Related WildScope pages

• Callery pear species profile for identification and state rules.
• Prevention guides for planting and groundcover decisions.
• When to treat invasive plants for how the spring and summer windows fit the year.
• How to dispose of invasive plants for fruit and cut material.
• Invasive plants in Pennsylvania and invasive plants in Ohio for state lists and reporting contacts.
• Removal guides for other species.