Callery pear

The Callery pear was introduced from China in the hope of strengthening domestic edible pear genetics; its ‘Bradford’ cultivar was widely planted as a street tree in the 1970s and 80s. Unfortunately, the mature tree proved to be structurally weak, with a growth habit that required more pruning than the city could afford. Its non-native seed is also widely dispersed by birds. It is no longer planted in NYC; enjoy it while it lasts, and don’t park under it during storms.

“When I bought my coop at 164 Bond Street, Dec. 15, 1995, there were three Callery pears. Two fell in a storm before I moved in, on Jan. 6, 1996. We got two ginkgos from the city with the next distribution, now all grown up, but the stub of that last splintery Callery pear is still there, shedding a big branch occasionally, even surviving Sandy.”

— C. Claiborne Ray, Resident