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Kansas City Today

This stinky tree is wreaking havoc in Kansas and Missouri

By Nomin Ujiyediin,
Trevor Grandin, Byron J. Love
Published April 7, 2023 at 4:00 AM CDT
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Spring brings a return of wildlife and a boost in temperature, but it also reminds conservationists of the ongoing war against the Callery Pear tree. Known for its picturesque blossoms and pungent odor, this tree is hard to get rid of. Learn why the Callery Pear is virtually everywhere — and why that's a bad thing.

To the dismay of many a conservationist, the Callery Pear — also known as the Bradford, Chanticleer or Cleveland Pear — has made its home in Missouri and Kansas. Originally planted for its beautiful flowers and hardiness, the tree is wreaking environmental havoc. Their shallow root system puts them in danger of falling over, they're choking out native plants and they provide little for wildlife.

Up To Date's Steve Kraske spoke with Ryan Armbrust, Rural Forestry Program Coordinator for the Kansas Forest Service, and the Kansas News Service's Celia Llopis-Jepsen about the effects of the Callery Pear — and how residents can help remove them.

Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Trevor Grandin, Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate

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Kansas City Today environmenttreesNatureMissouri Department of Conservation
Nomin Ujiyediin
As a newscaster and a host of a daily news podcast, I want to deliver the most important and interesting news of the day in an engaging and easily understandable way. No matter where you live in the metro or what you’re interested in, I want you to learn something from each newscast or podcast – and maybe even give you something to talk about at the dinner table.
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Trevor Grandin
Trevor Grandin is a contributing producer for KCUR Studios.
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Byron J. Love
As an on-demand producer, I am focused on using my skills and experiences across multiple digital applications, platforms and media fields to create community focused audio, video and on-demand products for KCUR Studios. The media that I produce aims to inform, entertain and connect with the Kansas City metro area as we continue to learn from each other. Email me at byronlove@kcur.org.
See stories by Byron J. Love
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