Do you have a Callery or Bradford Pear tree on your property? Callery pears are invasive trees that were introduced as ornamental trees for landscape plantings, but are now threatening Virginia’s ecosystems. These trees have reproduced aggressively and displaced native trees in a variety of landscapes. Callery pears are structurally weak; the limbs are prone to snapping during weather events. They also produce sharp thorns, and their white flowers produce an odor that is unfavorable to many.
To incentivize the removal of these invasive trees from residents’ properties, the Sustainability Division is offering free replacement trees for every Callery pear tree removed (limit of 3 per household)! Residents must provide proof of removal, which could be a photo of the removed tree or an invoice from an arborist, to receive the new tree.
If you have identified a Callery pear tree on your property, use this tool to find an ISI-certified arborist that can safely remove the tree: https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist.
More details on the available replacement trees and timeline are forthcoming. Sign up for The Henrico Leaflet newsletter to be notified when the program officially launches: The Henrico Leaflet Sign-up
