I could imagine many scenarios, but the bottom line was: That tree looked like it was on its last legs or branches or roots or whatever the equivalent would be in tree anatomy.

Today, the Callery pear is listed as an invasive species in several states. In January, Ohio became the first to enact a ban on the tree, with Pennsylvania and South Carolina following suit.

The tree is native to China and was brought over in the early 1900s to replace another type of pear tree in America being wiped out by disease. Over time, people planted the Bradford pear as an ...

When the suburbs boomed after World War II, the Callery pear tree was chosen to line many miles of tree-lined streets. Now it's being banned in some states.

Last month, I travelled to Scarborough to meet up with a gentleman who had lived in this area of Toronto for over 40 years. Steve Loretta wanted me to come and examine his “discovery” of a Jesuit pear ...