Recruiting Football Talk VIII

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#147,230
#147,230
Orange. said:
We had some at an office complex I worked at long ago. The blossoms were really nice in the spring. I didn't have to maintain them. I think @SoilVol doesn't like them because they're not native to the area, but not sure.
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Its less about things not being native in an ornamental setting and more about them being horribly invasive. A single tree isn't the problem, except that it is when it produces a million wild trees that take over wild areas.

Gingkos aren't native and they're beautiful trees, but they aren't invasive so I'm fine with them.

I love the idea of sentimental trees like @InVOLuntary has. I just hate that it's a bradford pear. My dad had a dogwood from his grandmother and irises from her house that he's taken offspring and tubers from and planted every time we've moved.

I totally understand not bringing yourself to cut it down. The only idea I could offer is to start a new tradition with a different species like a redbud, dogwood, saucer magnolia, etc in it's place. Doesn't even have to be native, just not detrimental to the landscape.
 
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#147,231
#147,231
InVOLuntary said:
They were the thing then. Everyone had them. They also gave a flowering cherry which died within a few months.

Mine hasn't been that much trouble. I've had to trim it a few times but it was a beautiful tree - still not bad.
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Flowering Cherries, also non native. Have a very very short lifespan. The difference is the Yoshino and Weeping varieties have a short squat growth habit, then, stop growing.

Pear trees spread and infest, and cannot strengthen under their own weight. Much like a Freeman Maple.
 
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#147,236
#147,236
SoilVol said:
Its less about things not being native in an ornamental setting and more about them being horribly invasive. A single tree isn't the problem, except that it is when it produces a million wild trees that take over wild areas.

Gingkos aren't native and they're beautiful trees, but they aren't invasive so I'm fine with them.

I love the idea of sentimental trees like @InVOLuntary has. I just hate that it's a bradford pear. My dad had a dogwood from his grandmother and irises from her house that he's taken offspring and tubers from and planted every time we've moved.

I totally understand not bringing yourself to cut it down. The only idea I could offer is to start a new tradition with a different species like a redbud, dogwood, saucer magnolia, etc in it's place. Doesn't even have to be native, just not detrimental to the landscape.
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I personally wouldn't cut it down if it were a gift from my parents. But I like your suggestions. How did I not know about saucer magnolias? May plant one. Also didn't know the diff between non-native and invasive.
 
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#147,239
#147,239
InVOLuntary said:
They were the thing then. Everyone had them. They also gave a flowering cherry which died within a few months.

Mine hasn't been that much trouble. I've had to trim it a few times but it was a beautiful tree - still not bad.
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I read a history about them and what happened. Originally they (Callary pear) were sterile and didn't smell. A nursery deceloped the ornamental variety "Bradford" and they were pretty much all sterile hybridized clones. They were super popular and took off like wildfire. They originated because the callary pear were actually used as rootstocks for California's pear industry that was suffering from some introduced diseases. They realized it could be a good ornamental due to this resistance if they could breed out the thorns and promote a nice symmetrical growth habit.

Then, other nurseries started developing their own strains with slightly different characteristics. Well guess what, now there's genetic diversity out and about. They Jurassic Parked themselves and started hybridizing and reproducing. Trees that produced 0 fruit suddendly produces hundreds of thousands, and their offspring were like their ancestors - thorny, wild growth habit, and aggressive spreaders.
 
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#147,240
#147,240
SoilVol said:
Its less about things not being native in an ornamental setting and more about them being horribly invasive. A single tree isn't the problem, except that it is when it produces a million wild trees that take over wild areas.

Gingkos aren't native and they're beautiful trees, but they aren't invasive so I'm fine with them.

I love the idea of sentimental trees like @InVOLuntary has. I just hate that it's a bradford pear. My dad had a dogwood from his grandmother and irises from her house that he's taken offspring and tubers from and planted every time we've moved.

I totally understand not bringing yourself to cut it down. The only idea I could offer is to start a new tradition with a different species like a redbud, dogwood, saucer magnolia, etc in it's place. Doesn't even have to be native, just not detrimental to the landscape.
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Better yet, call local Ag Extension office. There is a designated location that saplings are grown, and given (usually Arbor day), make sure to wear crocs @Glitch

We use a nursery in Hampton TN. As they grow most of the trees locally. Most of them are already accustomed to our funderful alkaline battery clay pot soil.
 
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#147,243
#147,243
SoilVol said:
I read a history about them and what happened. Originally they (Callary pear) were sterile and didn't smell. A nursery deceloped the ornamental variety "Bradford" and they were pretty much all sterile hybridized clones. They were super popular and took off like wildfire. They originated because the callary pear were actually used as rootstocks for California's pear industry that was suffering from some introduced diseases. They realized it could be a good ornamental due to this resistance if they could breed out the thorns and promote a nice symmetrical growth habit.

Then, other nurseries started developing their own strains with slightly different characteristics. Well guess what, now there's genetic diversity out and about. They Jurassic Parked themselves and started hybridizing and reproducing. Trees that produced 0 fruit suddendly produces hundreds of thousands, and their offspring were like their ancestors - thorny, wild growth habit, and aggressive spreaders.
Click to expand...
This one has shown no propensity to spread. It's old, approximately 35 years, I'd think. It's about 24" diameter at the base now.
 
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