Is the effort to rid SC of smelly Bradford pear trees working? Here’s the latest

In the six years Clemson University and the South Carolina Forestry Commission have worked with homeowners to rip out nuisance Bradford pear trees, almost 2,000 native trees have been given out in exchange.

That means thanks to the Bradford Pear Bounty program, the landscape is rid of thousands of the trees that stink like rotten fish as they bloom what were once considered lovely white flowers each spring. In storms, their fragile limbs break off and create a mess.

As of last fall, it is illegal to sell Bradford pear trees in South Carolina, further reducing their impact on the landscape.

The trees were brought to South Carolina from Vietnam and China in the 1950s and planted by landscapers with abandon, thought to be perfect for lawns and along urban roadways. They produce deep red leaves in the fall.

Experts thought they were disease resistant and didn’t spread. But then they did and to add insult to injury they cross pollinated and created another nuisance species, the Callery pear.

In the decades since, the trees have choked out native species.

Foresters say Bradford pears are the ultimate nuisance trees. They are fast growing and they have thorns. Sharp enough to puncture tractor tires.

Many cities that planted them are tearing them out.

The bounty program offers property owners up to five native trees in exchange for cutting down an equal number of Bradford pears.

Clemson has a list of 23 types of trees the state gives out, including swamp oak, American snowbell, Carolina cherry laurel, and pawpaw.

The giveaway is done for this year but forestry officials said there may be more next year. This year, the giveaways were held in the first two weeks of March in Florence, Columbia and Greenwood.

Dr. David R. Coyle in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation at Clemson said the native trees are paid for in several ways — funds from a specific municipality where the giveaway is held, donations and corporate sponsorships, and grants the university has obtained.

This story was originally published March 28, 2025 at 6:00 AM.