Do You Have One Of These Trees? Illinois Is Making Them Illegal

This is one of those stories where you'll look out the window and say "Wow, he's right. Those trees are everywhere."

Illinois recently made a major move by adding the Bradford pear (technically the Callery pear) to the Illinois Exotic Weeds Act, meaning it will soon be illegal to buy, sell, or plant it in the state.

The reason is that it’s become one of those textbook invasive species that went from popular landscaping tree to ecological headache nearly everywhere it was planted. The part that really hits home for a lot of people across Illinois is that you can see them just about anywhere you look.

Take a drive around Rockford, on rural roads, or especially in older neighborhoods, and those white-blossoming trees are hard to miss every spring. In fact, it’s not even an exaggeration to say that from a front window in many parts of the state, you could probably spot at least one Bradford pear without trying very hard. They’ve been planted so widely for decades that they’ve basically blended into the background of Illinois landscaping.

Bradford Pear Trees Were Super Popular For A Long Time

The problem is the thing that made them popular. Fast growth, uniform shape, and heavy spring blooms are exactly what’s made them a problem now. The trees spread aggressively, often outside of where they were originally planted, and they’re showing up in natural areas where they crowd out native species and change local ecosystems.

That’s why Illinois is phasing them out under the Exotic Weeds Act. Keep in mind that you don't have to have yours removed if you have one or more, but Illinois is drawing a clear line in the sand that no more new Bradford pears being added to the landscape going forward.

It’s a strange feeling because for a lot of people these trees aren’t “invasive villains,” they’re just part of the scenery. Even if you don’t have one in your own yard, you probably know exactly what they look like just from everyday life. That’s what makes this change so interesting. It’s not about something rare or hidden. It’s about something so common that most of us barely noticed it was becoming a problem in the first place.

Oh, did I mention that Bradford Pear Trees stink?