By ALICIA BOOR
Cottonwood Extension District
The Kansas Forest Service is urging Kansans to be on the lookout for an invasive species that threaten the state’s forests and ecosystems by pushing out native vegetation.
For a brief time – often in early April – the Callery pear puts on a stunning display of white flowers. But behind the beauty belies a menace.
Native to China, the Callery pear includes 26 cultivars that present significant ecological concerns in Kansas and Missouri. Among them:
· It displaces native trees and plants in the wild, which lowers ecological biodiversity. The tree does not host native pollinators.
· It leafs out before woodland wildflowers emerge from dormancy, robbing them of critical sunlight and preventing their growth.
· Its’ egg-shaped structure – at heights of 30-40 feet – and brittle wood make it prone to falling limbs that can damage people and property.
And, it smells.
There’s been a myriad of descriptions for the smell, most of them vile and maybe some not appropriate to say out loud.
To encourage landowners to help limit the spread of Callery Pear trees in Kansas, the Kansas Forest Service is hosting the 2026 Callery Pear Buyback Program. Remove a Callery Pear tree from your property and receive a free tree as a replacement.
Tree pickup locations will be in Wichita (May 12), Ellsworth (May 13), and Manhattan (May 14).
This offer is open to all Kansas residents, and proof of Callery pear tree removal must be provided. Free trees are limited to one tree per household, and the replacement species will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
To learn more about this event and eligibility requirements, and to sign up to participate, visit the Kansas Forest Service’s website: https://www.kansasforests.org/events/calendars_and_articles/callerypearbuyback2026.html
Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Extension. You can contact her by e-mail at aboor@ksu.edu or calling 620-793-1910.