• Ornamental pear attracts butterflies in late spring.butterfly & pear blossom's image by Gail Ranney from Fotolia.com
  
  Bradford and Chanticleer are by far the most common cultivars of ornamental pear (Pyrus calleryana). These trees are enormously popular in urban, commercial and residential landscaping for their three-season interest and attractive shape. They grow fast, and are valued as shade trees as well as for their looks. Ornamental pears are quite hardy and will tolerate poor soils, cramped planting areas and drought as long as they get plenty of sunshine. Ornamental pears can be easily identified in several ways--only slight differences exist between Bradford and Chanticleer cultivars, however.
  
  

Blossoms and Fruit

• Watch for flowers. Ornamental pears bloom in spring, bursting out in white or pink-tinged clusters of blossoms. Flower clusters appear along entire length of branches, not just at the tips, much like Eastern redbud. They are powerfully attractive to insects and birds, which cross-pollinate the trees so they can produce fruit. The scent of ornamental pears is heavy and sweet. The pears themselves are not edible for humans. Small and bitter, they are best left to birds and squirrels.
  
  

Shape and Growth Habit

• Look at the shape of the tree. Bradford pear has a pyramidal shape, where Chanticleer is oval and more narrow, tapering at the bottom and top. Both cultivars will grow to 20 to 30 feet, with Bradford pears growing to a 20-foot spread. Ornamental pears grow fast, especially when they're young, at a rate of 1 to 2 feet per year. Both will often develop multiple trunks, but Bradford has brittle wood that needs a lot of pruning. Bradford and Chanticleer can live 30 years or more when properly maintained.
  
  

Leaf Shape and Fall Colors

• Leaves of ornamental pears are somewhat like birch or aspen leaves. The base of the leaf is broad, and the petiole, or stem, is more than 2 inches long. When the wind passes through, the leaves flutter, attracting the eye. Ornamental pears will turn combinations of fiery red, brilliant yellow and bright orange in the fall, often with all three colors appearing simultaneously on the same tree.