Pyrus calleryana Decne. - "Bradford"
Family - Rosaceae
Stems - To +/-15m tall, woody, typically with a single trunk, branching, pyramid in form.
Leaves - Alternate, petiolate, glabrous. Petiole to +/-5cm long. Blade broadly ovate, truncate to slightly tapering at base, crenate-serrate, acuminate to acute, undulate, glabrous, to +/-7cm long, +/-5cm broad, shiny green above, light blue-green below.
Inflorescence - Flowers typically appearing before leaves on new seasons growth. Flowers in dense terminal domed to globose cymes to +/-7cm broad, +/-7cm long. Pedicels lanate to arachnoid pubescent, +/-2cm long.
Flowers - Corolla rotate, to 2.8cm broad. Petals 5, white, glabrous, orbicular, distinct, borne at edge of receptacle, +/-1cm in diameter. Stamens typically 20, exserted. Filamnets white, glabrous, to 7mm long. Anthers reddish-purple, 1.2mm long. Styles 2. Carpels 2, with 2 ovules each. Ovary inferior. Hypanthium 3-4mm tall(long), lanate to arachnoid pubescent. Sepals 5, acuminate to triangular, lanate to arachnoid pubescent, 3mm long.
Flowering - March - April.
Habitat - Cultivated.
Origin - Native to China (Asia).
Other info. - P. calleryana is typically the first tree to bloom in the spring. The brilliant white flowers dominate the dull winter landscape of Missouri for a month or so. This species was introduced into cultivation in 1919. The "Bradford" cultivar came into cultivation in the 50's if memory serves me right. Other cultivars exsist which have different color fall foliage and different growing characteristics. Fruits can be absent to many small reddish pomes about 1cm in diameter.
Photographs taken in Stokesdale, NC., 3-22-03.