Callery pear
In the late 1940s and for the next 50 years, the Bradford pear was a favorite of developers building suburban housing projects. Streets were lined with the trees. They were noted for their fast growth, beautiful spring flowers and striking fall foliage. In time, the tree’s weak branch structure was recognized, and developers switched to other trees.
Bradford pears were grafted onto Chinese Callery pear stock. The first white trees we see in abandoned fields, woodlots and along fencelines in early spring are Callery pears. Dozens can be seen in a single neglected field. Bradford pears do not have thorns. Callery pears have hard thorns 1 to 3 inches long that can puncture boots and even tires. The blossoms of Bradford pear have an unpleasant odor and are of no nutritional value to pollinators, so honeybees do not visit them.
However, Callery blossoms do have nectar and pollen which the bees gather. They are one of the earliest flowers the bees visit in spring. Bradford pears do not have fruit because they are sterile. Callery pears produce small, hard berries that are softened by frost, eaten by birds and the seeds dispersed in their droppings.
Callery pears are invasive and undesirable, like kudzu and Japanese honeysuckle, and should be eliminated because they are taking over open areas and choking out native trees and grasses.
Japanese honeysuckle
There are two kinds of honeysuckle. One is a native plant; the other is nonnative and invasive. Native honeysuckle, called red or coral honeysuckle, is a climbing vine that has nonfragrant, tubular red flowers from April through September, and red berries in late fall. The vines do not cover and smother vegetation the way the nonnative invasive vines do.
The other honeysuckle is Japanese honeysuckle, a fast-growing, semi-evergreen vine. The highly fragrant, bilobed flowers open white, then fade to yellow and are present during the warmer months. Berries are black and develop in the fall.
Japanese honeysuckle is native to eastern Asia and was introduced to Long Island, N.Y., in 1806 to control erosion. Since then, it has spread throughout much of the United States.
The vines form large tangles that can cover vegetation, block sunlight, and cause it to die. Vines will also kill shrubs and saplings by tightly twisting around branches, strangling or girdling them. The dried leaves and flowers are used in traditional medicine in China.
Privet.
The privet plant is shrub or small tree. There are about 50 species and are found in Europe, north Africa and Asia. The privet we see was introduced from Asia. It is frequently used as an ornamental hedge. The plant has conspicuous white flowers followed by black berries. Birds eat the berries and spread the seeds in their droppings. The plant is mildly poisonous to grazing livestock.
A decoction (boiled extract) from the leaves is used in herbal medicine to treat diarrhea, stomach ulcers and bowel problems.
All three invasive plants were introduced from Asia.
