Bradford Pear Removal in Virginia: Exchanges, Costs and Regrowth

Roanoke Tree Removal is a local referral service: we pass your request to an independent, local tree crew. We are not a government office, and this page is general information. We don't run either exchange program.

Why people take them out

The Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) program covers Callery pear and its cultivars, the yard trees most people call Bradford pears. DOF says the cultivars were once seen as the perfect neighborhood tree, in part because they were thought to be sterile. They cross-pollinate and reproduce, and their offspring spread into fields and woods. DOF also calls them structurally weak and prone to snapping limbs and breaking after wind or ice, and says trees that revert to the wild type grow large, sharp thorns that have been known to pop tractor tires.

Virginia DCR's invasive plant list ranks Callery pear as a medium invasive. DCR notes the list is educational and has no regulatory authority, so being on it doesn't make the tree illegal to own.

How to spot one in fall

DOF says Callery pears bloom white in March, before native trees, which makes spring the easy season. In fall, it says to look for:

• Shiny, rounded leaves with serrated edges on alternate branches, turning bright red.
• Many small, hard, round fruits, brown with white specks, often already dropping.
• A round or teardrop shape, furrowed gray bark and, on wild trees, sharp thorns.

Sustainable Blacksburg's bounty separates the two kinds: it covers Bradford pears planted in yards and other managed landscapes, not wild Callery pears in ditches and fields.

DOF's Callery Pear Exchange

DOF recommends hiring an ISA-certified arborist for the removal and the herbicide treatment that prevents regrowth.

Sustainable Blacksburg's bounty

Roanoke is outside the New River Valley, so email the program first and ask whether your address qualifies. Plant Virginia Natives reported in April 2025 that the bounty had moved from once a year to all year.

Stopping stump sprouts

DOF calls Callery pears vigorous stump sprouters: cut one down and it sends up many new sprouts. Both DOF and Sustainable Blacksburg say to treat the stump with herbicide. Sustainable Blacksburg says cut stumps should be treated right away with glyphosate or triclopyr so the stump and large roots don't resprout. In Virginia, anyone paid to apply pesticides needs a VDACS pesticide business license, so ask the crew whether they treat stumps themselves. Grinding is a separate job; see stump grinding and the stump grinding cost guide.

What removal costs

Angi's national figures, not Roanoke quotes. Angi says each extra stump removed at the same visit can run about $50, and that spring, summer and early fall are the busiest seasons for tree work. Removing several pears in one visit is a fair thing to ask a crew to price.

Photograph it before it comes down

Both programs need photos. If you plan to cut in late fall or winter, take close-ups of the leaves, buds or fruit and a full shot of the standing tree first. Note the date and the address.

When a pear is a hazard now

A split trunk, a hanging limb or a lean toward the house is a safety question first. See hazard tree removal and, if it already hit something, fallen tree insurance claims.

Get removal quotes

Call (540) 904-1819 or use the form. Tell us how many pears, roughly how tall, and whether you want stumps treated or ground.

Sources

• Virginia Department of Forestry, Callery Pear Exchange Program (Checked Oct 12, 2026)
• Sustainable Blacksburg, Bradford Pear Tree Bounty (Checked Oct 12, 2026)
• Plant Virginia Natives, Bradford Pear Tree Bounty now all year long (Checked Oct 12, 2026)
• Virginia DCR, Virginia Invasive Plant Species List, effective Sept 2024 (PDF) (Checked Oct 12, 2026)
• VDACS, Pesticide Business License (Checked Oct 12, 2026)
• Angi, tree removal cost (updated Jul 8, 2026) (Checked Oct 12, 2026)

Common questions