White flowering tree identification help needed

[Kmanzoni]

Hello- can anyone help me identify this tree?
It was in full bloom about a week ago.
I believe it to be in the flowering pear family but dont know which specific.
It is more of a round pumpkin shape, not tall and thin.
Small white flowers, very full.

I see them in quite a few front yards.

Any ideas?
View attachment 291744View attachment 291745

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Looks like a bradford pear to me.

 

[joezilla11]

I agree with the Bradford pear. If youre looking to purchase one maybe opt for a cleveland pear. They grow a little more upright but are less likely to lose limbs from storm damage, as that was the issue with the Bradford's.

 

[ATH]

Yep. Callery Pear (Bradford and Cleveland Select are cultivars).

Terrible tree. Plant something better!

Any of the cultivars get torn apart by storms when they get larger.

High maintenance tree.

It used to be that Bradford was the only cultivar...when that was the case, they would not get fruit on them. Since there are several cultivars now, they pollinate each other and now produce messy fruit.

Fire blight is also a fairly common problem that makes the ugly later into the summer.

This is also an invasive species that has started taking over in natural areas.

They are pretty trees...but just a bad idea

(Others, please help me out: did I miss any good reasons NOT to plant?)

 

[Kmanzoni]

Yep. Callery Pear (Bradford and Cleveland Select are cultivars).
. Plant something better!

Thank you for the advice and the information.
Do you have any suggestions as to what to plant instead?

We are looking for something with white flowers, a broad top that is full.
We live on a farm and want to plant them along the roadside for the beauty would prefer not to need to plant several of them close together.
So we were thinking of these since they seem to spread wide instead of grow skinny/upright.

Thank you

 

[smokey01]

Thank you for the advice and the information.
Do you have any suggestions as to what to plant instead?
Thank you

Personalty I like the Cleveland Select and have them lining a driveway as you are thinking. They have the appearance of the Bradford Pear but I was told by the nursery, will not have the problems. Won't know that for sure for another 20 years though, I'll let you know then.

 

[stltreedr]

Personalty I like the Cleveland Select and have them lining a driveway as you are thinking. They have the appearance of the Bradford Pear but I was told by the nursery, will not have the problems. Won't know that for sure for another 20 years though, I'll let you know then.

Cleveland Select doesn't have the narrow branching structure and failure points that a Bradford has...The problem now with "improved" cultivars is that they are cross pollinating and creating invasive hybrids. (in some areas)

My daughter got a Cleveland Select for her 5th birthday last year from her great uncle... I had to plant it for her. What's one more going to hurt?

 

[stltreedr]

Most people plant the Pear trees for their early spring flower show. A Flowering cherry would provide a nice show in early spring as well. Crabapples the same, but usually don't get as big, so you don't get any sort of shade from them- they are also kind of messy and require pruning every few years to eliminate sucker growth.

The Pear trees also have nice fall color- If that's what you're going for there are some really nice options--- Black gum, is a favorite of mine. Larger shade trees like hard maple- I just planted two "fall fiesta" hard maples.

 

[ATH]

....

Do you have any suggestions as to what to plant instead?
.....

Crabapple is a great suggestion. Pick a flower color. Pick a size. Pick a shape. Make sure you get a scab resistant variety. Here are a few factsheets about that:
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/pdf/HYG_3003_08.pdf
http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/publications/ID-217.pdf

The Service berries are a little touch about soil conditions, but if you have the right soil they are beautiful as well.

Japanese Tree Lilac is a little smaller, and flowers later, but is nice.

If flowering is not as important, Hedge maple and hardy rubbertree are good choices. Lacebark elm is a little larger, and has great fall color.

Redbud is not as dense as pear (that is an asset for tree health!). They are normally pinkish, but there are white cultivars.

Just a few ideas to start.

Resist the pear! I have seen plenty of Cleveland Select with poor branching structure. Additionally worth noting is that branching structure is only half of the problem...weak wood is another big problem. Everytime I see a nice row of larger pear, there are at least a couple that are falling apart - the rest are just waiting.

 

[old_soul]

Thank you for the advice and the information.
Do you have any suggestions as to what to plant instead?

We are looking for something with white flowers, a broad top that is full.
We live on a farm and want to plant them along the roadside for the beauty would prefer not to need to plant several of them close together.
So we were thinking of these since they seem to spread wide instead of grow skinny/upright.

Thank you

Look at some varieties of Cherry trees. Not weeping cherry but real cherry trees. They will grow large and round like a bradford pear but are stronger. In the wild they are white flowers just like a pear.

Also have seen pink varieties in landscape trees.

Even if you don't harvest the cherries, the blooms are still pretty in spring.

I'm with ATH, don't plant pears unless you are out of other options.

 

[formationrx]

Thank you for the advice and the information.
Do you have any suggestions as to what to plant instead?

We are looking for something with white flowers, a broad top that is full.
We live on a farm and want to plant them along the roadside for the beauty would prefer not to need to plant several of them close together.
So we were thinking of these since they seem to spread wide instead of grow skinny/upright.

Thank you

leave the pear alone (take care of it).... another tree?... check out stewartia...