My Bradford Pear trees are blossoming out of season.... (flowers, mushrooms, grow)
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not necessarily this can happen if there is the right combination of warmth and moisture (WITHOUT the "help" of a hurricane) that "fools" the tree into believing that it is really "spring" and should start it's flowering (sometimes called "precocious blooming" I think). along with many fruit trees, certain deciduous magnolias that normally are spring bloomers will show some flowers at this time of year as well for the same reasons. it's rarely a problem for the tree and normal flowering and fruiting next year but it does sometimes surprise the gardener.
Last edited by georgeinbandonoregon; 10-02-2018 at 11:25 AM..
They usually bloom in March. This morning I noticed that they're blooming, maybe about 1/4th of the amount of spring flowering.
Could this be something to do with Hurricane Florence? My house was right in the path of the storm.
Yes, your instincts are right on the money, the event with Florence is probably exactly why it happened this time. It's actually a common occurrence even without the interference of hurricanes though. According to the North Carolina Drought Conditions Map for 2018 your region went from abnormally dry/moderate drought conditions during all spring and summer to sudden, extreme wet conditions when Florence arrived. That kind of sudden extreme change in climate conditions can trigger unseasonal blossoming in many kinds of flowering plants.
This happens a lot with magnolia trees on the west coast. My neighbor has a tulip magnolia that almost always blooms twice a year, in late spring when the spring rains end, and then again in late October when our autumn rains start after a very dry, hot summer.
The following MSU Extension link explains how and why it happens with apples and pears (and other fruit trees in the Rosaceae family of plants) when there is a sudden extreme change in climate conditions: Why are my apples blooming during fall? | MSU Extension
Yes, your instincts are right on the money, the event with Florence is probably exactly why it happened this time. It's actually a common occurrence even without the interference of hurricanes though. According to the North Carolina Drought Conditions Map for 2018 your region went from abnormally dry/moderate drought conditions during all spring and summer to sudden, extreme wet conditions when Florence arrived. That kind of sudden extreme change in climate conditions can trigger unseasonal blossoming in many kinds of flowering plants.
This happens a lot with magnolia trees on the west coast. My neighbor has a tulip magnolia that almost always blooms twice a year, in late spring when the spring rains end, and then again in late October when our autumn rains start after a very dry, hot summer.
The following MSU Extension link explains how and why it happens with apples and pears (and other fruit trees in the Rosaceae family of plants) when there is a sudden extreme change in climate conditions: Why are my apples blooming during fall? | MSU Extension
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think we are essentially in agreement in BOTH our responses about the situation (we even used the same example of magnolias doing the same thing)---hopefully we are actually also both correct, LOL. thanks for the link.
Thanks for the responses. I was concerned that this would affect next spring's blossoms but hopefully it won't.
Actually, the Wilmington NC area, where I live, had a fairly wet spring and early summer (I remember all sorts of weird mushrooms sprouting in the yard) but it had dried out before Florence and the 30" inches of rain the storm dumped on the area.
After that storm I'm lucky to have any trees left in my yard.
Last edited by Ellise; 10-02-2018 at 12:36 PM..
Reason: Typo
Bradford Pears only live 10-15 years. You ought to replace them with quality trees that will live 100+ like some native oaks.
Most people don't plant them any longer for this reason.
When I lived in Ohio my pear trees were beautiful for about ten years. After that, the cold, ice, and winds took a toll on them. They might last longer in a more mild climate, who’s to say?
When I lived in Ohio my pear trees were beautiful for about ten years. After that, the cold, ice, and winds took a toll on them. They might last longer in a more mild climate, who’s to say?
FWIW, my experiences in western Oregon and observations in northern California is that Bradford pears can live for a number of years and grow quite large (trees in Sacramento can be 50' tall or more) and look quite healthy. moreover the often maligned "tree of heaven" (ailanthus) can also grow to great age and size and rarely if ever suffers from wind or ice breakage (it can be invasive of course). that said the "far west" generally has a milder climate with less violent winter storms (especially ice storms and heavy snows) and few hurricanes so the changes for serious damage are much less probable than on the east coast.
Bradford Pears only live 10-15 years. You ought to replace them with quality trees that will live 100+ like some native oaks.
Most people don't plant them any longer for this reason.
After seeing how the oak trees in my neighborhood fared during Florence, I don't want oaks anywhere near my house. The biggest limbs in my yard were from oaks (blown in from a neighboring yard). One house down the road had two huge oak trees fallen down (not on their house fortunately).
My pear trees only lost one limb between the two of them. And the pines seemed to hold up better than the oaks.
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