Look along almost any neighborhood street in Greensboro or Winston-Salem over the next few weeks and you'll spot them: Bradford pears holding onto deep red and purple leaves long after most other trees have gone bare. That late color makes this one of the easiest times of year to pick them out.
Bradford pears were planted by the thousands across the Triad because they grow fast and look tidy when young. The problem is how they're built. Their main limbs grow upward from nearly the same point on the trunk at tight, narrow angles, and those unions get weaker as the tree matures. A heavy ice storm or strong wind can split a mature tree right down the middle.
They also spread. Callery pear seedlings now crowd fields and roadsides across North Carolina, which is why many homeowners choose to replace them with a native tree. If you have a large Bradford pear near the house, the driveway, or a fence, late fall is a good time to decide whether it stays or goes before winter weather arrives.
Is there a Bradford pear in your yard or on your street that's already lost a big limb?
#BradfordPear #PiedmontTriad
A real photo of a local Bradford pear in late-fall red and purple color, or a split Bradford pear showing the narrow V-shaped limb unions. A crew photo removing a Bradford pear near a house would also work well. Authentic photos of real Spartan crews and job sites are strongly preferred over stock images.
Canva text suggestion: "Bradford Pears Split Under Ice" or "Spot the Red Leaves, Check the Limbs"