Never plant Bradford Pear

   / Never plant Bradford Pear #21  
Wild plum has a special place in my heart. The jam is in a class of it's own and it was always a favorite hangout for Bob Whites and Cottontails.
 
   / Never plant Bradford Pear #22  
Less than 10 years ago someone dumped a load of Bamboo beside the road in a creek bottom. (Why do ilegal dumpers favor creeks where they know floods will spread the mess?) Whereas there had never been bamboo in the area,it has now spread 3 miles down road in both directions and down stream over 5 miles as evidenced where other roads cross the creek.
 
   / Never plant Bradford Pear
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#23  
Less than 10 years ago someone dumped a load of Bamboo beside the road in a creek bottom. (Why do ilegal dumpers favor creeks where they know floods will spread the mess?) Whereas there had never been bamboo in the area,it has now spread 3 miles down road in both directions and down stream over 5 miles as evidenced where other roads cross the creek.
Oh no...at my homeplace my grandfather planted bamboo on other side of lake dam.
It's spread acres around. Bamboo is a type of grass I understand.
I'll add horrific plants here in Virginia also: privit, honeysuckle, fox grape, multiflora rose, Japanese stiltgrass, ivy, poison ivy, johnson grass, crabgrass, kudzu, sumac, stinging nettle, devil's pitchfork.
Other's also.
 
   / Never plant Bradford Pear #24  
Oh no...at my homeplace my grandfather planted bamboo on other side of lake dam.
It's spread acres around. Bamboo is a type of grass I understand.
I'll add horrific plants here in Virginia also: privit, honeysuckle, fox grape, multiflora rose, Japanese stiltgrass, ivy, poison ivy, johnson grass, crabgrass, kudzu, sumac, stinging nettle, devil's pitchfork.
Other's also.
Let's not get carried away and shoot all the dogs,some plants are beneficial to eco system even if they are a nuisance in crops, yards and gardens.
 
   / Never plant Bradford Pear #26  

This gave me a chuckle while nodding my head in agreement.

My wife wanted to build a Gazebo behind the house (next to the woods). She brought a Wisteria here, planted it EVEN THOUGH at the time (maybe 10 years ago? and even up to THIS day, there is NO Gazebo)

Nice pretty plumes when it's flowering.... then one day, we notice in the woods, these nice pretty plumes are a hundred feet away, going up to the tree tops where this thing has been creeping along. I finally got her to agree to let me kill the original plant and did so.

I'm still suspecting that these shoots will have found a place to root but, don't know this. I don't think I saw any plumes this past spring. Fingers crossed that I killed the plant from hell. Fortunately, this area of woods, immediately behind the house, she wants taken down to clear it up and to allow more sun exposure.

She & I still make jokes about this single plant that was trying to take over the entire woods behind the house.
 
   / Never plant Bradford Pear #27  
Anyone wanting to grow plants should realize that weeds are simply plants where that particular plant is unwanted. Wildflowers come to mind as something many wouldn't classify as weeds but in the truest sense they are in the majority of places where they are growing. I once planted a field in Arrowleaf Clover for hay and eventually sold some to a man for his cows in an area where several people keep horses. Volunteer clover began appearing and was grazed where there were cattle but untouched by horses. Birds evidently spread the clover from plants that matured and set seed. Passing by these places that have been overgrazed by horses and seeing all the clover make's me wonder if it's a weed since the horses don't eat it or if it's a blessing where ground would otherwise be baren.
 
   / Never plant Bradford Pear #28  
Comments above about Wisteria caused me to try and recall an instance where it was invasive or growing wild. Theres not many Wisteria in yards around here but where there is I haven't noticed evidence of spreading to surounding area. After a little research it turns out there are 3 species and numerus cultivars of the 3 species. It's understandable how an unsuspecting gardener might be blindsided with the wrong choice.
Johnson Grass is an example that can be a horriable nusance or a blessing,depending on when and where it's found. There's be many times over the years I would have sent every seed and rhizome on earth to the furnace in hell but other times it was there when nothing else was available for livestock hay. This will be one of those years when tons of Johnson Grass is baled to feed cattle next winter. Quite a contrast wouldn't you say? Well theres more and it might exemplify how Johnson Grass can be good,bad or ugly depending on time and place. As I said above cattle would starve or rancher would be forced to import hay were it not for JG hay. Tons of JG is grazed every year but without warning it can drop a herd of cows stone dead within minutes of starting to graze. There's something for aspiring cattle ranchers to ponder before buying the boots and hat.
 
   / Never plant Bradford Pear #29  
If you want a flowering tree that will get some size to it, I'll take a Catalpa tree. Some people complain that they are a a messy tree when the bloom and seeds are falling, but the huge leaves and flowers make up for it in my book.
 

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   / Never plant Bradford Pear #30  
" but the huge leaves and flowers make up for it in my book."

Don't overlook the fish bait.🪱🪱🪱🪱
 
 
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