Missouri will help replace your smelly Bradford pear trees

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Conservation wants to get rid of those smelly, invasive Bradford pear trees.

This spring, the state agency has teamed up with other Missouri groups to help homeowners replace them.

Bradford pear trees, also known as Callery pear trees, are considered a problem due to their tendency to break apart during storms, multiply quickly and then overwhelm native plants by creating dense thickets.

They grew in popularity back in the 1960s since they were inexpensive and have pretty white flowers.

“But the bad outweighs the good,” MDC Forestry Field Programs Supervisor Russell Hinnah said in a release. Now they’re infamous for their stinky smell and are spreading nearly everywhere.

The full article is available at ozarksfirst.com.

(Story by Makenzie Koch, ozarksfirst.com)