**Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, nor do I pretend to be. This article is informative and only covers the traditional uses for edible plants commonly found in the Appalachian region. It’s always best to consult a health care professional or medical doctor when suffering from any ailment, disease, illness, or injury before trying any traditional folk remedies. **
While the aromas of spring are usually associated with fresh flowers, afternoon thunderstorms, and warm air, there’s one scent that always feels out of place: the Bradford pear.
Bradford pears have a truly terrible stench this time of year, which often leaves people with the conclusion that Bradford pears are good for nothing other than creating a stench that would scare off even the most tolerant of noses.
However, like most invasive species in Appalachia, the Bradford pear has many uses. If we used the wood, flowers, and fruits of the Bradford pear the way humans have for thousands of years, they likely wouldn’t have become invasive in the first place.
Let’s talk about Bradford pears, discussing their history in the USA and Appalachia, how to forage for them, and how to use them.
About Bradford Pears
Folk Names: Callery pear
The Bradford pear tree, most commonly grown in deciduous rainforest climates in the Southeastern USA and the west coast, is not a US native plant.
This ornamental pear variety comes from Asian countries, such as China, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
Bradford pear trees came to the USA in the early 1900s as ornamental trees. These unique pear trees became a favorite tree among landscapers since they never got too tall, grew quickly, and put on a lovely display of bright flowers in spring and colorful foliage in the fall.
However, the biggest benefit of the Bradford pear was that it was sterile — meaning, its seeds did not produce more Bradford pear trees. One could only make more Bradford pear trees by grafting them.
However, in the USA, some pear tree species were close enough to the Bradford pear to create many different hybrid species. Many of these hybrid species bore fertile seeds. It is from these seeds that the Bradford pear began to spread.
These days, Bradford pear trees are everywhere, and they are invasive in many states in Appalachia and on the West coast. In these habitats, the trees spread rapidly, as birds consume the seeds and scatter them all over.
It’s also worth noting that landscapers are not helping anything by planting more Bradford pear trees practically everywhere. They’re one of the most common trees in street medians and parking lots because they are small and won’t cause root damage to the roads.
But… Bradford pear fruits are edible, and the wood is wonderful for woodworking. So, why don’t we use these invasive plants for good and help to control their populations by enjoying them?
How To Identify and Harvest Bradford Pear Trees
Bradford pears are most recognizable for their smell, which people often compare to baby poop, vomit, or basically anything else that’s foul-smelling.
However, right now, in early spring, Bradford pears show off their bright white flowers, which do look stunning!
The edible fruits of the Bradford pear will come later in the season, just after the first frost. Like rosehips, these fruits are bitter, sour, and sweet. To me, they taste a bit like crab apples or sour candy.
These fruits also have similar health benefits to rosehips, as they contain a fair amount of vitamin C, antioxidants, and minerals like zinc.
So, keep an eye out for nearby white flowers of the Bradford pear this season, and come back in winter to satisfy a sourly sweet tooth!
How To Prepare and Use Bradford Pears
To prepare and use Bradford pears, you can eat the fruits raw right off the tree, use them in pastries and breads like you would use cranberries, make jelly and jam, or add them to smoothies for a sour kick.
I, personally enjoy the taste of Bradford pear fruits when they are raw and fresh, but I have a taste for bitter, sour foods.
However, if you want to sweeten up the flavor, I highly recommend using Southern Forager’s recipe for Bradford pear jelly! I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ll let you know how it goes this winter after my harvest!
Additionally, Bradford pear trees are great for woodworking projects. The trees themselves produce more limbs than their trunks can hold, so it’s very common for Bradford pears to collapse in on themselves. If you see any big limbs down, snatch them up!
Bradford pear is a favorite among woodturners, as the wood is very dense. The grain is so close that it’s almost impossible to see.
