Bradford Pear tree - Ask Extension
This spring my 12 year old Bradford Pear tree had lots of bare spots when in bloom. It also is bare now that the leaves have grown in. Every house in ...
Knowledgebase
Bradford Pear tree #324099
Asked May 22, 2016, 9:29 PM EDT
This spring my 12 year old Bradford Pear tree had lots of bare spots when in bloom. It also is bare now that the leaves have grown in. Every house in my neighborhood has one planted by the street, but only 3 appear to be suffering the same problem (me, next door neighbor and one 5 houses away) their is some fungus (?) growth on bark. The growth has gotten worse over last several years, but never seemed to affect tree before. Any idea what is wrong with tree and how to correct the problem?
Hamilton County Indiana
Expert Response
Bradford pear can have limb dieback due to the bacterial disease fire blight. See the following link for disease description. The key diagnostic feature is a black burned appearance, sometimes with a ooze.
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advi...
The brittle branches of Bradford pear are prone to wind damage which would cause clusters of dead branches which can be pruned out.
You will need to examine the affected limbs closely to see if either of these two are the cause of your problem.
What you describe as fungal growth on the bark is actually lichen, which is not harmful to the tree.
If the problem appears to be fire blight it is best to wait until a dry spell in mid summer for pruning to reduce the risk for spreading the disease with the clippers and saw. Fire blight tends to progress through the tree over several years and you may or may not be able to eradicate the infection..
Bradford pears are relatively short lived trees.
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advi...
The brittle branches of Bradford pear are prone to wind damage which would cause clusters of dead branches which can be pruned out.
You will need to examine the affected limbs closely to see if either of these two are the cause of your problem.
What you describe as fungal growth on the bark is actually lichen, which is not harmful to the tree.
If the problem appears to be fire blight it is best to wait until a dry spell in mid summer for pruning to reduce the risk for spreading the disease with the clippers and saw. Fire blight tends to progress through the tree over several years and you may or may not be able to eradicate the infection..
Bradford pears are relatively short lived trees.
