Pear trees (Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Bradford: sale, 2010, condo)

[FLORIDA TO NIOTA 2010]

Hello everyone,
I want to plant some trees on my property, now that I cleared off those nasty pine trees. I want something that changes colors with the seasons. I have seen some that turn oange in the fall but I don't know what kind of tree it was.
I know someone put info on this forum before but I couldn't find it tonight.
Thanks for any help.

[alleycat]

Could it be Bradford pears you're thinking of? If it is, there are probably better options.

[DubbleT]

I have an 'Autumn Flame' maple that turns mostly orange. Right now it is one of the few trees in my neighborhood that has begun to show color already.

[mbmouse]

You could plant Poplars, they turn a bright yellow, Maple, they turn yellow and then orange. Oaks turn different colors. There are lots of different indigenous trees that will give you a show in the fall. Check out the Arbor Day foundation web site, lots of great info and descriptions of the different tree types.
As for the Bradford Pears, sure they are pretty however they are soft and usually split and fall after so many years. I have one in my front yard that has split 4 times.

[Tennesseestorm]

Ew, we have Bradford Pear trees and they are disgusting. They are about 5 years old and big now, but we are planning on cutting most of them because they are crowding out my Loblolly pines.

What kind of pines did you cut down?

There is a certain type of maple that turns orange.

[FLORIDA TO NIOTA 2010]

Originally Posted by Tennesseestorm

Ew, we have Bradford Pear trees and they are disgusting. They are about 5 years old and big now, but we are planning on cutting most of them because they are crowding out my Loblolly pines.

What kind of pines did you cut down?

There is a certain type of maple that turns orange.

My husband said he thinks they were slash (?) pines. All I know is they are VERY messy. Pine sap, pine cones and pine needles everywhere. And when the wind blows the branches are very brittle.
We still have some around the border of the property.

[Tennesseestorm]

Originally Posted by FLORIDA TO NIOTA 2010

My husband said he thinks they were slash (?) pines. All I know is they are VERY messy. Pine sap, pine cones and pine needles everywhere. And when the wind blows the branches are very brittle.
We still have some around the border of the property.

I see. If you live in Florida, good chance they were Slash pines, as they are very common down there, but pretty unusual here in east Tennessee, but I have a couple. Here is a photo of the needles of one of mine from earlier in the year.



However, I am a "pine tree lover". I have about every type of southeast pine out there... Longleaf pines, Slash pine, Loblolly pines, Sand pine, Pond pine and White pine.

This is my favorite though.... Longleaf pine (to the right)... this was taken awhile back and the tree is about 3 ft. taller now. It grows super fast after its "grass" stage... as you can see one in that stage to the left side of the photo near the Southern Magnolia.

[knoxgarden]

Check out info at the UT Arboretum for a guide to what trees turn what colors.
UT Knoxville | Forest Resources Research and Education Center
Not all pear trees are bad. There are some lovely ones planted all over the condo community I live in and they're lovely in all seasons. They're over 30 years old and 3-4 stories high. Magnificent in the spring.
But they aren't Bradfords. They're rounder and don't smell awful. No one seems to know what they are.
The Arboretum is having a plant sale this Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Oak Ridge facility.

[FLORIDA TO NIOTA 2010]

Thanks.
They were planted pines, so they were pretty thick. The one I have here in FL are so messy. My patio is covered everytime I turn around with pine needles. If the wind blows the branches (fairly big ones) break and shatter when they hit the ground. Sorry, I know you love em.