How do we replace the Bradford pear trees on our HOA common areas?

By OurHOA · General information · Revised October 30, 2026

How an HOA board replaces Bradford and Callery pear trees: why they split and spread, TX, FL and CO rules, stump treatment, native picks and a phased plan.

Part of the HOA board handbook: vendors, projects and upkeep.

The short answer

Count and map every Bradford or other Callery pear on the common areas, rank them by how much damage a falling limb could do, and replace them in phases over two to four years, worst trees first. Cut each tree to the ground, treat the fresh stump with herbicide right away so it does not sprout, grind the stump, and plant a better-built tree in the same spot or a nearby one. Pull the seedling pears that come up along fences and drainage areas while you are at it. None of the state rules below order an HOA to cut down a pear it already owns, so this is a board decision about risk and upkeep. Rules vary by state and by your governing documents, and some cities require a permit to remove trees. Treat this guide as general education, not legal advice, and check your declaration and city code before the first cut.

Why boards end up replacing them

The trees fail in a predictable way. UF/IFAS describes 'Bradford' as having many vertical limbs packed closely on the trunk with bark trapped between them, a dense crown and long branches that do not taper, which makes it prone to wind and ice breakage. It grows 30 to 50 feet tall. UF/IFAS adds that skilled pruning can build a stronger tree, but the result often looks misshapen, and without pruning the tree has a short life. Illinois Extension puts it more simply: narrow crotch angles make the tree a hazard in storms in urban areas. The second problem is spread. A Bradford cannot set viable seed with its own pollen, but Clemson explains that pollen from any other flowering pear cultivar or wild Callery pear changes that. Birds eat the small fruit and drop the seed. The Texas Invasive Plant and Pest Council database says Callery pear forms dense thickets that push out other plants, and that one tree can grow into a sizeable patch within several years. Seedlings are often thorny; Clemson notes thorns up to 3 inches long, which matters for mowers and for kids cutting through a greenbelt.

What the rules say in Texas, Florida and Colorado

Texas. The Texas Invasive Plant and Pest Council lists Callery pear as invasive and found throughout the state, but notes it is not on the Texas Department of Agriculture noxious weed list or the Texas Parks and Wildlife prohibited exotic species list. Owning and planting it is a matter for your own rules. Florida. The species does not appear on the state noxious weed list in Fla. Admin. Code 5B-57.007. UF/IFAS still rates it invasive and not recommended in north, central and south Florida, except for limited uses its invasive plant working group approves. Do not replant it. Colorado. The 2024 Front Range Tree Recommendation List, published through CSU Extension, marks 'Bradford' as not recommended for two reasons: it suckers and it is structurally weak. The same list still carries several other Callery cultivars and warns that all pears are subject to fire blight. A Front Range board can keep healthy newer cultivars if it wants, but should not plant more Bradfords. Other states. Ohio Admin. Code 901:5-30-01 bars selling, propagating, distributing or importing Callery pear; its grace period ended January 7, 2023. South Carolina added all Callery pear cultivars to its do-not-sell list on October 1, 2024, and Clemson says the rule does not affect trees already in the ground. These are sale bans, not orders to remove trees.

Count, map and rank the trees

Walk the common areas with a site map and give every pear a number. For each one, write down the trunk diameter, what sits under it (sidewalk, street parking, a home, a playground, open turf), and any visible splits, cracks at the branch unions or broken limbs. Also mark patches of seedling pears in natural areas, ditches and fence lines. Then rank them: 1. Trees that have already split or have large cracked unions over a target such as a roof, car or path. These come out this season. If one looks ready to fail, handle it as an urgent removal; our guide on how to remove a dead or dangerous tree on HOA common area covers that process. 2. Large trees over targets that look sound for now. 3. Trees in open turf where a falling limb hits grass. 4. Seedling thickets, which are cheap to clear early and expensive once they become trunks. Ask a certified arborist to walk the ranked list with you before you price it. Working in rank order also gives the board an answer for the owner who loves the spring blossoms.

Cut it so it stays gone

A Callery pear cut to a stump will sprout again from the roots unless the stump is treated. Illinois Extension calls for treating the cut surface within 10 minutes of cutting, with glyphosate at 25 to 50 percent in water or triclopyr at 20 to 25 percent. For stems 4 inches across or smaller, it lists a basal bark treatment: 20 percent triclopyr ester in basal oil on the lowest 15 inches of the stem. The Texas council adds that seedlings and small trees can be pulled when the soil is moist, with a weed wrench for the stubborn ones, and that a tree that cannot be removed can be girdled and treated. Two things not to do. Do not mow over seedling patches and call it done, because they come back. And do not burn brush piles of pear thinking fire will finish it; Clemson cites research finding that four stems resprout for every one a fire kills. Whoever applies the herbicide needs the right credential. In Texas, Occupations Code chapter 1951 requires a structural pest control business license for paid weed and plant pest work at parks and homes, and 1951.003 spells out that scope. In Florida, the limited landscape certification in section 482.156 is narrow, so ask the contractor which license covers stump treatment. In Colorado, anyone applying pesticides for hire is a commercial applicator under C.R.S. 35-10-103 and must carry the insurance in 35-10-106. Put the license number in the contract. After cutting, grind the stump below grade, haul the chips and backfill with soil so the new tree has a clean hole.

Pick replacements that bloom in spring

Owners who fight the removal usually miss the white flowers, so give them something that blooms. The Texas council lists Texas crabapple, Mexican plum, escarpment black cherry, green hawthorn and anacua as native alternatives. Illinois Extension suggests eastern redbud, serviceberry, American plum and flowering dogwood. In Colorado, pick from the Front Range list for your elevation. In Florida, ask the county UF/IFAS Extension office for natives suited to your zone and soil. Plant the replacement in the same planting strip but not in the old stump hole if the grinding left a pit full of chips. Match mature size to the site: a 50-foot pear in a 4-foot tree lawn should become a small flowering tree, not an oak. Our guide on how to plan an HOA tree planting program covers stock size, spacing, the contract planting spec and two summers of watering. A practical tip: replace pears in visible clusters rather than one here and one there. A row of six redbuds planted the same week looks like a plan. Six random holes look like the board is losing trees.

Budget, motion and owner notice

Get per-tree bids for removal, stump treatment, grinding and replacement, priced separately, so the board can move trees between years without rebidding. Fund rank 1 trees from the current year's tree or landscape line and put the rest in the next budget. Sample motion: 'Move that the association hire [company], [license number], to remove the Callery pear trees numbered [list] on the attached map, treat each stump with herbicide immediately after cutting, grind each stump below grade and plant one [species] at each location shown, at a total cost not to exceed $[amount], with work to be completed by [date].' Sample owner notice: 'This winter the association will begin replacing the Bradford pear trees on our common areas. These trees split easily in storms and spread into our green spaces. We will remove [number] trees this year, starting with those that pose the most risk, and plant [species] in their place. Work runs [dates] on [streets]. Please move vehicles parked under marked trees on those days. Questions go to [email].' If a pear sits on a lot line or the documents make a homeowner responsible for trees on their lot, send that owner a separate letter. The common-area plan does not reach private yards.

A sample three-year plan and the mistakes to avoid

Year one. Late summer: inventory, map and arborist walk. Fall: bids and the motion. Winter, while trees are dormant: remove rank 1 trees and pull seedlings. Plant replacements in your region's planting season (fall in Texas, spring in Colorado). Year two: remove rank 2, check last year's stumps for sprouts and spot treat any. Year three: remove rank 3, clear remaining thickets and update the map. The mistakes that cost boards the most: cutting stumps without treating them and getting a ring of sprouts, replanting a different Callery cultivar because the nursery called it improved, leaving seedling patches until they need a chainsaw, removing every tree in one year and leaving bare streets, and skipping the owner notice so the first anyone hears of it is a chipper at 7 a.m. Keep the map current after each phase for the next board.

Sources

These guides are general education for HOA boards and residents, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules vary by state and by your community's governing documents - check with a professional for your situation.

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