A tree in my backyard is not doing very well. I believe it is a Bradford pear. There is basically no growth above 4-5 feet besides one little green sprout... down lower, there is much healthier growth, however.
Another Bradford pear in the yard seems to be doing quite well - you can see the edge of it in the top photo.
Can you help me figure out if this tree is salvage-able? If so, what do I need to do? If not, would appreciate recommendations for replacements - the Bradford pear tree was here when we bought the house but I have read lots of bad things about them on the Internet.
I don't think I'd replace it... looks like a virus. I'd remove tree, and take my time finding something unrelated.
Anything pear, apple, quince, loquat, mayhaw, hawthorn... related is likely to suffer the same fate... I'd look around at California buckeye or oak or something.
There are so many trees that will grow well in SF... I can't imagine wasting space on invasives like callery pears!
Name: Big Bill Livonia Michigan (Zone 6a) If you need to relax, grow plants!!
I do not think it is a Bradford pear.
It could be any number of flowering fruit trees, apple, cherry, crab apple, another pear or peach.
If the top 85% is dead and you are left with basal sprouts, there is really no "healthy" in that statement. It just means that the tree may be trying to sprout like crazy in an attempt to save itself. Or it could be a grafted tree. The base is sprouting while the grafted top is dead!
Remove it.
Orchid lecturer, teacher and judge. Retired Wildlife Biologist. Supervisor of a nature preserve up until I retired.
