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Mar 14, 2025

Why Bradford pear trees stink and how to get rid of them

When the Bradford pear trees are in bloom in early spring, you pretty much can't miss them; you see the lovely white blossoms on trees everywhere - and you smell that not-nearly-so-lovely fishy odor

When the Bradford pear trees are in bloom in early spring, you pretty much can't miss them; you see the lovely white blossoms on trees everywhere - and you smell that not-nearly-so-lovely fishy odor everywhere, too.

Callery pear trees, more commonly known as Bradford pear trees, can be found throughout Knoxville and East Tennessee. Introduced to the United States from several Asian countries starting in the early 1900s, the white-flowered ornamental trees were once a favorite for landscaping but have since gotten a bad reputation as invasive trees that crowd out native species, are difficult to remove and smell bad.

Several states – including South Carolina and Ohio – have moved to ban the sale and planting of the trees.

Tennessee has not taken that step yet, and it's not on the Tennessee Department of Agriculture's list of invasive plants, though the Tennessee Invasive Plant Council lists the Bradford/callery pear tree at an established threat level.

Even so, if the smell or the thorny branches or just the sight of them everywhere bugs you, here's what you need to know about Bradford pear trees and how to get rid of them or avoid them altogether.

Some say the trees smell like rotting fish. Other describe the odor as like urine or animal waste. Bradford pear trees are considered malodorous, according to the Spruce, a home and garden site. Ironically, the foul odor that drifts from the trees’ white or pink flowers is to attract pollinators.

The unpleasant smell lingers until the white flowers fall off.

That’s not the only reason Bradford pear trees are problematic. Originally thought to be sterile, the Bradford pear tree easily cross-pollinates with other pear tree types. It’s so invasive it crowds out other native plants and provides little to no food for insects, according to The Spruce.

It one-inch thorns are thick enough to shred tires on a tractor if you drive over fallen branches. And the trees have a weak structure, making the branches and limbs easy to snap in strong winds or under the weight of ice.

Removing Bradford pears helps minimize the spread of seeds. Local tree services can help remove the trees from your yard. But once the tree is cut down, it’s important to treat the stump, too, which might mean grinding it down, digging it up or treating it with an herbicide, Greenville News reports.

The best time to remove a Bradford pear is early in the season, before it begins producing the berries that birds can eat, which spreads the seeds around.

Good alternatives to planting the invasive Bradford pear in East Tennessee are eastern redbuds, red buckeyes, yellowwoods and fringe trees, the Blount County Master Gardeners organization suggests.

Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email [email protected]. On X, formerly known as Twitter @dturner1208.

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