The Vanderburgh County Soil and Water Conservation District is offering homeowners a deal that could help restore native habitat across Evansville and beyond.
If you live in the Pigeon Creek watershed and remove a Bradford Pear tree from your property, the district will replace it with a native tree at no cost.
Why Bradford Pear Trees Are A Problem In Indiana
Also known as Callery Pears, Bradford Pears were introduced to the United States in 1917 and quickly became a landscaping favorite thanks to their fast growth and showy white blooms.
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But those blooms come with a smell many describe as rotting fish, and the problems go far beyond fragrance.
Bradford Pears are considered invasive in Indiana. While individual cultivars are self-sterile, different varieties can cross-pollinate, producing viable seeds that birds spread into fields and forests. The result is dense thickets that crowd out native plants and reduce food sources for pollinators and wildlife…