MORNING HEADLINES | Lowcountry property owners are being encouraged to exchange up to five invasive Bradford Pear or Chinese tallow trees for an equal number of free, healthy, native, young replacement trees in a partnership between Clemson University and the S.C. Forestry Commission.
Bradford pears are not native to the United States, but have been widely planted in South Carolina for years. Though pretty, Bradford pears have a pungent odor and are prone to breaking during storms. Additionally, the trees contribute to one of the worst invasive plant species in the Southeast: the Callery pear.
This year’s tree bounty will also extend to the Chinese tallow for the Mount Pleasant location. The tallow is considered invasive to the area because it can “outcompete native tree species in both forested and residential settings,” according to Clemson’s Home and Garden Information Center…