When Cumberland County joined the North Carolina Bradford Pear Bounty program this fall, residents gave back to their local ecosystem while receiving something beautiful in return. The Oct. 11 event at the Cumberland County Cooperative Extension Office drew such enthusiastic participation that all 200 available native trees were claimed, with some residents eligible to receive up to five trees each.
The program represents a unique form of community giving: Residents donate their time and effort to remove invasive Bradford pear trees, and in return, receive free native trees.
When good intentions go wrong
Bradford pears arrived in America in the early 1900s with good intentions to help develop disease resistance in fruit-producing pear trees. The Bradford cultivar (or a variety of plant cultivated by humans) emerged when researchers noticed one particularly attractive specimen with a beautiful crown and no thorns.
“It was believed that these trees would not be able to spread,” explained Allen West, Cumberland County’s Cooperative Extension agent. “However, different cultivars can cross, allowing them to escape into our natural forests.”
As Sean Garcia, horticulture and natural resources teacher at Gray’s Creek High School, notes, “Landscapers and architects like using them because they’re cheap and affordable, and they grow up pretty fast.”
What seemed like a generous gift to homeowners has become an ecological burden. Birds spread seeds throughout the landscape, creating wild populations that compete with native species.
Kelly Oten, North Carolina State University extension specialist and coordinator of the bounty program, emphasizes an important point.
“Just because their tree in the front yard isn’t popping babies up all over their front yard doesn’t mean their tree is not invasive,” Oten said. “The birds will eat the berries and then fly across the street, and suddenly, it becomes your neighbor’s problem.”
The triple threat
Bradford pears create problems on multiple fronts. Ecologically, they leaf out earlier in spring than native species, shading out the plants that local wildlife depends on for food and shelter, according to a NC State Extension Publication. Research shows that caterpillars, a critical food source for birds, prefer native trees over Bradford pears, creating food scarcity in areas dominated by the invasive species.
Practically, these fast-growing trees are structurally weak. Rapid growth creates weak joints that break during storms and can damage property. Wild varieties can have thorns up to four inches long that can puncture equipment and injure livestock.
Even aesthetically, the trees present challenges, emitting what many describe as a rotting fish smell during their blooming period.
A growing movement of giving
The Bradford Pear Bounty program launched in North Carolina in 2022 as a collaboration of NC State Extension, the North Carolina Urban Forest Council, North Carolina Wildlife Federation and North Carolina Forest Service. Since then, the program has held 16 events across the state, helping residents replace an estimated 3,300 invasive trees with native alternatives.
“Our first event in 2022 was quite large because there was so much excitement around it,” Oten recalled. “We sold out the event in less than 24 hours.”
The program’s popularity reflects a community’s willingness to invest time and effort for long-term environmental benefits.
Lasting impact
Residents must make a modest effort to participate in the bounty program. They register online, remove their Bradford pears, and bring before-and-after photos to the event. In return, they receive various native trees and shrubs, with Master Gardener volunteers donating their expertise to help match the right plant to each person’s specific site conditions.
“We try to pick native plants that do well in our area, and we like to have a variety,” West explains. “Some people don’t want a big shade tree in their yard, so we have native shrubs such as beautyberry and sweet shrub.”
Garcia, one of this year’s participants, had been waiting for the program to come to Cumberland County.
“I have about three Bradford pears that came with my house,” he explained. “I’ve been waiting for this opportunity to replace them with native trees I can use to teach my students.”
Each participant also receives a tree care manual from the North Carolina Urban Forest Council with detailed planting and care instructions, plus ongoing guidance from Master Gardener volunteers. The program typically offers 13 different native species, including both trees and shrubs, with selections like river birch and other locally appropriate alternatives.
Gifts that keep giving
For those concerned about losing the spring beauty Bradford pears provide, North Carolina offers numerous native alternatives with comparable or superior aesthetics. Flowering dogwood provides similar white spring blooms, while serviceberry offers flowers and edible berries that benefit wildlife. Black cherry creates dramatic displays of white flower clusters, and eastern redbud adds pink spring color.
“Native trees benefit our ecosystems, allowing other native species to flourish,” West noted. These trees support local wildlife, resist pests and diseases, and integrate naturally into our local ecosystems.
The ripple effect
While Cumberland County’s 2025 event distributed 200 trees and shrubs, the program’s impact extends far beyond those plantings. The initiative catalyzes broader community education about responsible environmental stewardship.
“We’re hoping to get a conversation going about people knowing that there are other invasive plants and to be on the lookout for them,” West explained.
Garcia uses his participation to enhance his teaching and create an additional multiplication effect. He photographs his new trees at various growth stages for student identification practice and uses cuttings for classroom activities.
“It makes me happy that at least they’re aware of the trees out there,” he said about his students’ growing identification skills.
This educational impact influences students, creating a new generation more aware of native species and environmental stewardship.
Expanding the circle of giving
Oten stresses that the program’s lessons extend beyond formal participation.
“Just because they didn’t participate in this program doesn’t mean they shouldn’t remove their Bradford pears,” Oten said.
She encourages people to research any tree before planting it, noting that many invasive species are sold locally.
For readers throughout North Carolina, extension agents in every county can provide localized advice about appropriate native alternatives. County extension agents help determine whether someone wants spring flowers or fall color, large shade trees or smaller specimens, and what will work best for their specific site conditions.
While Bradford pears may have seemed like a good choice decades ago, we now know how to make better decisions. By choosing native alternatives, property owners can maintain beautiful landscapes while giving back to the wildlife and ecosystems that make North Carolina special.
“By choosing native alternatives and supporting removal programs,” Oten said, “we can all do our part to protect our land, wildlife, and forests.”
The program demonstrates how individual acts of environmental stewardship can create lasting positive change, a perfect example of how giving back to nature ultimately gives back to our communities.
Read CityView Magazine’s “The Giving Issue” November 2025 e-edition here.