The deal is simple: cut down a Bradford pear, take a photo of it, and bring that photo in exchange for a free native tree. That swap is the heart of the Kentucky Bradford Pear Bounty, and its last scheduled stop of the fall is in Georgetown on Monday, Oct. 26.
The program is run by University of Kentucky Forest Health Extension, participating county Extension offices and the Kentucky Division of Forestry. Its goal is to pull a fast-spreading invasive tree out of home landscapes and put native trees back in their place.
How the Bradford Pear Trade Works
According to the University of Kentucky’s program page, homeowners find a county event, cut down their Bradford pear, take a picture as proof and take home a free native tree while supplies last. The page notes that the effort builds on events held in Franklin County and elsewhere since 2022, and that each county sets its own rules, so the host office is the place to check details.
When the bounty first launched, the university described the swap as an even trade. Kentucky property owners could exchange their Bradford pears for an equal number of young native replacement trees, with tree specialists on hand to help them pick a tree suited to their yard, according to a 2022 announcement from UK’s Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment…