Yikes! That's Gotta Hurt.

Ysarex · Jul 2, 2023

Storms yesterday afternoon got pretty severe in local pockets. Had to run out after and ran into this mess about four blocks from the house. People plant those ornamental pears and they're real pretty in the Spring for a couple weeks but eventually they're going to do this. We know they're going to do this. Great idea to have their branches mingled in with the power lines! The parked car with the limb smashing the hood has Florida plates -- hope they'll be OK. Canon G7xII

Space Face · Jul 2, 2023

Oooooooft. That's a Mustang too. Heartbreaking.

jeffashman · Jul 3, 2023

Ouch! We have one of those horrid pears, and we keep the branches pruned to prevent that. Trying to get my wife to buy into the idea that it's worth the money to have it taken down.

Ysarex · Jul 3, 2023

jeffashman said:
Ouch! We have one of those horrid pears, and we keep the branches pruned to prevent that. Trying to get my wife to buy into the idea that it's worth the money to have it taken down.

Yep, it's worth it to take it down. Show your wife that photo -- it's inevitable.

I have a pear tree story. There's a north/south street that separates my neighborhood from an area with commercial zoning. A business across the street has those pear trees on their property including at the end of their parking lot and they've shed limbs over the years. A pretty big limb fell off one of the parking lot pear trees and blocked the lot exit and alley across from one of my gardens. A couple hours later the limb managed to get rolled into my garden -- not sure who did it. It was too heavy for me to drag by myself but I have a hitch on the back of my car. I dragged it into the middle of their parking lot and left it there.

Original katomi · Jul 3, 2023

Here we have the TPO tree prevavation order on trees that if they fall will come into mums house, but cos of the TPO they have to stay

terri · Jul 3, 2023

Ugh. I believe these are Bradford Pears? Nuisance trees, now considered invasive in some parts of North America because they have mutated into the wild. I think they're off the market now.

We had two in our front yard, years ago in Georgia. They each got full, then top-heavy, then ripped out of the ground in separate storms. Looked a lot like this! Didn't hurt any cars, just tore up the ground around them.

Ysarex · Jul 4, 2023

terri said:
Ugh. I believe these are Bradford Pears? Nuisance trees, now considered invasive in some parts of North America because they have mutated into the wild. I think they're off the market now.

We had two in our front yard, years ago in Georgia. They each got full, then top-heavy, then ripped out of the ground in separate storms. Looked a lot like this! Didn't hurt any cars, just tore up the ground around them.

Some states have begun to ban them -- Ohio was first, but without those laws in place they're still being sold as ornamentals, and yes they've started to take over wild areas and are now listed as invasive in many states.

terri · Jul 4, 2023

That's it! Too bad they're still so widely available.

And not only that (another negative for them) the flowers, while very pretty, do not carry a pleasant scent. Bluntly - they freaking stink! :lol:

jeffashman · Jul 4, 2023

I have one Bradford, and I pay to have it trimmed so that it doesn't get too top heavy, but eventually we'll have a good storm that will bring it down. The flowers stink, the branches have nasty thorns on them, and they send up suckers everywhere if you don't keep on top of them. The ONLY plus is that they have gorgeous color in the Autumn, and they provide shade, but that's it.