Callory Pair Tree

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Callery Pear The Callery pear is a very popular tree that occurs throughout the Eastern U.S. from New Jersey to Illinois and south to Texas. It grows best in full sun but will tolerate some shading and drought. The Callery pear is usually 30-50 feet tall, 20-30 feet wide, and young trees may be thorny. Callery pear leaves deciduous, long, shiny, dark green, and leathery; they have scarlet, mahogany, and purple hues in fall. Callery pear originated in China and Vietnam. The Callery pear was originally introduced to the U.S. to be used as rootstock for fruiting pears. In 1909 the tree was introduced to America by China to the Arnold Aboretum and again in 1916 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Callery pear is in competition with surrounding trees because the small fruit can grow without as much water as other plants. Since Callery pear grow so rapidly the other trees don’t have good chances to develop because the rapidly growing Callery pear is already there taking all the needed nutrients. The Callery pear is a beautiful tree which is why it is so popular however it can be a nuisance to other plants as well as to the landscape. Once established Callery pear forms dense thickets that push out other plants including native species that can’t tolerate the deep shade or compete with pear for water, soil and space. A single tree can spread rapidly by seed and vegetative means forming a sizeable patch within several years. Its success as an invader results from its capacity to produce copious amounts of seed that is dispersed by birds and possibly small mammals, seedlings that germinate and grow rapidly in disturbed areas and a general lack of natural controls like insects and diseases, with the exception of fire

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