Picking an Alternative to Bradford Pear

If you are looking for the best tree to replace Bradford pears, there are dozens of fine alternatives. Many homeowners hope to find another tree with white blossoms. Here are six great choices:

• Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.) - This great Bradford pear alternative offers not one but four seasons of backyard interest, including white spring flowers at just about the time Bradford blooms. But serviceberry also offers attractive blue-green foliage that blazes with gold and red in fall.
• Tree lilac (Syringa reticulata) - Though not a U.S. native, this Japanese tree grows to 30 feet (9 m) tall with an oval crown and creamy white flowers that attract pollinators. The bark is an elegant mahogany shade with prominent lenticels. To add to the package, the tree lilac is extremely tolerant when it comes to growing conditions and requires little maintenance.
• White Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis var. alba) - Check out this native variation of the normally purple Eastern redbud. It grows to 25 feet (7.6 m) tall with a rounded shape and pea-like white flowers in spring before the leaves open. The heart-shaped leaves of the redbud are a lovely addition, and the flowers are followed by attractive seed pods.
• Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) - Kousa dogwood is another four-season favorite with its mid-season white blossoms, fascinating peeling bark, and pretty pink fruit. The large white flower petals are in fact bracts that circle the true flowers at the center. These true flowers are responsible for the red, berry-like fruit. Wildlife come for these long-lasting treats.
• White Crabapple (Malus spp) - So many types of crabapple fit the bill that you can choose the size, color, time and shape of the blossoms. While the fruit isn’t sweet like true apples, the floral show will stop traffic.
• Sweet Bay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) - This small native tree grows to 25 feet (7.6 m) tall and is a good choice for moist sites. The magnolia’s ivory blossoms have some 12 petals that smell sweetly of lemon and long, shiny, dark leaves that are silvery beneath. The fruits have crimson seeds that are showy in their own right.

Other Native Alternatives to Callery Pear

You may want to consider some other choices when replacing your Bradford pear tree. Here’s a short list that may help:

• Eastern hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)
• American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana)
• Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)
• American plum (Prunus americana)
• Blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica)
• Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)
• Black haw viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium)
• Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea)
• Hawthorn (Crateagus spp.)