Bradford Pear vs. Callery Pear: What's the Difference?

People use the names interchangeably, but there's a distinction.

Callery pear is the species

Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) is a species native to East Asia. Nurseries developed several cultivars from it.

Bradford is one cultivar

'Bradford' is the best-known cultivar. Others include 'Cleveland Select', 'Aristocrat' and 'Chanticleer'. Individually they were bred to be sterile, but different cultivars cross-pollinate.

The wild offspring

Seeds from that cross-pollination grow into wild Callery pear. These often revert to having sharp thorns and spread aggressively into open ground.

Why it matters

A single ornamental tree in a yard is a different job than a field full of thorny wild seedlings. Knowing which you have helps plan the right removal.

Related service: Bradford Pear & Woody Vegetation Clearing