Let us set the scene. It’s a beautiful spring day, and you are enjoying an afternoon stroll on one of Green’s few sidewalks, probably one near the CAB. The weather is balmy, there’s a high UV index, and the breeze carries small blossoms from the trees through the air like snow. Then, just as you’re thinking that the day couldn’t possibly get any better, the horrid stench of rotting fish smacks you in the face. Now, contrary to what your nostrils are telling you, this is not the smell of a dead body, nor did every toilet in Green decide to overflow simultaneously. This disgusting olfactory experience is simply the delicate perfume of the Bradford Pear, an invasive species that has taken over Ohio.

The Bradford Pear, or the Callery pear tree, is native to Vietnam and other Southeastern Asian countries and was brought to the United States in the early 20th century. Bradford Pears were supposed to be exactly what they appeared: a beautiful and harmless ornamental tree variety that bloomed in the early spring. They are noted for being exceptionally resilient, incredibly flowery, and were thought to be sterile for the majority of the 1900s. Dear reader, these trees were not sterile. In fact, they reproduced at alarming rates- breeding with practically any other pear tree. Since they are cheap (as far as trees go), landscapers everywhere decided to plant them all willy-nilly, only speeding up the spread. And, as mentioned earlier, they stink. In fact, they smell so bad that their primary pollinators are not the gentle bumblebee, but flies- yes, those flies, the ones who eat the eyes out of carcasses.

In this country, we often fight over immigration policy, about who should or should not be let into this country. But the real danger isn’t immigrant humans, it’s invasive species. Ohio’s native plants, especially the ones that also flower, are being pushed out by, for lack of better words, a homeschooled jungle freak who’s a less hot version of our native species.
Luckily, the state of Ohio banned the planting of Bradford Pears in January of ‘23, but it does not say that the ones already here have to go. This is bad, especially because our very own city is rife with them. The Paw Print editorial staff is of the opinion that promising to not plant any more of these trees is not enough. Are we as a city really to say that form must take precedence over function? We need to treat our trees like one treats a crowded elevator: taking the deodorant-wearing regular over the gorgeous but disgusting smelling colonizer. It is time to start planting native species, which are just as beautiful and not nearly as dangerous.

Why, when Ohio has beautiful wildflowers, should we plant the invasive Chinese Silver Grass? Or the Dame’s Rocket, which forces out the lovely Garden Phlox? Let’s remove and kill the Bradford Pear, which only causes foul-smelling harm, and urge the city to replace it with the beautiful (and colorful) Eastern Redbud. Maybe then, we can enjoy a gorgeous spring day, knowing our native plants are thriving under careful stewardship. It would also be a hell of a lot less smelly.