As white blossoms pop up across Missouri each spring, many belong to Callery pear trees, once a popular landscaping choice for local homeowners that’s now classified as highly invasive for the local ecosystem.
These fast-spreading trees are crowding out native species, reducing biodiversity and weakening ecosystems across the state.
According to the Missouri Department of Conservation Community Forester Taylor Neff, that can mean fewer pollinators, poorer soil health and less resilient landscapes overall.
To combat the spread, the Missouri Invasive Plant Council and its partners have returned to host it's annual pear tree buyback program. This year with more partners to assist throughout the state, homeowners who remove invasive trees can receive a free native plant replacement in a effort to raise awareness and encourage more sustainable landscaping choices.
You can register for the buyback by filling out a form and submitting a photo of your cut down tree.
But the effort goes beyond removing a single tree. It’s also about helping people better understand what’s growing around them. The program encourages Missourians to step outside, take a closer look at their yards and neighborhoods, and start recognizing both invasive and native species.
“How can we care about something if we don’t know it?” Neff said. “It starts with going outside and building a relationship with the non-human members of our community.”
Registration for the buyback program closes April 16, with tree pickup beginning April 21 at locations across the state. Additional resources are available year-round.
- Taylor Neff, Community Forester for Missouri Department of Conservation
