Drive through almost any neighborhood in Gloucester County right now and you'll see them: Callery pears, often sold as Bradford pears, turning deep red and purple while the maples are still deciding. Fall color makes them easy to pick out, and it's a good time to take an honest look at the ones in your yard.
These trees grow fast and tend to send up several upright limbs that meet at one tight, narrow V-shaped crotch. Bark gets pinched between those limbs instead of forming a strong joint, so as the tree matures, more and more weight sits on a weak connection. A heavy wet snow or a strong nor'easter gust is often all it takes to split one down the middle.
If you have one, look where the main limbs join. A visible crack, a seam running down the trunk, or one side of the canopy noticeably heavier than the other are signs worth having checked before winter. Sometimes reducing the heavy side buys time, and sometimes a planned removal and a stronger replacement is the better call. Either way, you'll get a straight answer.
Is there a Callery or Bradford pear on your property, and has it ever dropped a big limb on you?
#SouthJerseyTrees #TreeSafety
Real photo of a Callery (Bradford) pear in red or purple fall color on a local property, plus a close-up of the narrow V-shaped crotch where the main limbs meet. A photo of a split pear from a past job is ideal if one exists. Authentic photos from real Greg Smith Tree Service jobs strongly preferred over stock images.
Canva text suggestion: "Bright Red Now, Split Trunk Later?" or "Check Where Your Pear's Limbs Meet"