Bradford Pear Trees

[alicia-w]

I'm posting this here and will put it in the hurricane forum too but here goes....

Ivan blew a considerable number of leaves from some young bradford pear trees in our area. yesterday, i noticed them blooming! Is that result of the hurricane? I've NEVER seen them do that before!!! Any ideas?

[mascpa]

I believe it is (just an opinion). I have noticed how quickly the vegetation has started putting out new leaves and buds already. I even noticed it after Frances but still before Jeanne.

[alicia-w]

Amazing. Thanks for the answer. I'll be asking some horticulturists the same thing...

[BayouVenteux]

I'm posting this here and will put it in the hurricane forum too but here goes....

Ivan blew a considerable number of leaves from some young bradford pear trees in our area. yesterday, i noticed them blooming! Is that result of the hurricane? I've NEVER seen them do that before!!! Any ideas?

I have had Bradfords over the years and have noticed that they, along with some other varieties of trees -- particularly younger ones -- will often grow new foliage following a period of stress that results in leaf loss, whether it's from moderate drought or wind damage. My neighbors have a young mayhaw tree in their front yard that dropped all its leaves during the recent drought conditions we have been experiencing here in south Louisiana. Following some watering by the owner and a good soaking on Wednesday night by mother nature, it has begun to sprout new green here in early October. Too bad it won't get to wear it very long!

[Mattie]

I have a Bradford Pear that has been around for a loooong time - made it through two lightening strikes where 1 third of the trunk and that third of the tree went with it. . . It happened again a couple of years later. We have chopped it down to about 6 ft tall - it was so large around that the saw wouldn't cut the trunk.

Now, even with that, the trunk with slices in it, it is growing back and taking on the beautiful look of a Bradford pear. I'll be curious to see if it blooms this year as well. Usually happens here around Thanksgiving.

[bartman]

Here, in Wilmington, NC, we also had Bradford Pear trees blooming following Charley. My guess at the time was that it was due to salt spray damage coming in off the ocean. The blooming only occurred on the windward side of the tree following Charley's onslaught. Other trees, such as maples, also suffered from salt burn, again only on the windward side.

[Ixolib]

Signaling a new beginning. I suppose they're just joining the crowd!!

[rolltide]

Here in Pensacola it's starting to look a little like spring. Most of the remaining trees here were stripped of leaves during the storm but now are budding out with new leaves. We have several oaks and all are putting on leaves. This is a good thing as we miss the shade.

[MGC]

Allison killed my Bradford Pears that I had just planted a couple of months before. I am still convinced that Allison was tropical in nature and not a STS when it hit La and crossed into southern Mississippi in 2001......MGC

[frankthetank]

I'll throw out a website for those interested....

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/

They've got forums dedicated to trees, florida, etc. Great site and lots of plant loving people.

[KeyLargoDave]

I'll be curious to see if it blooms this year as well. Usually happens here around Thanksgiving.

I think that's the key. You may see trees blooming early in response to stress, but it has to be near their regular bloom time. Trees stripped of leaves will put out new vegetative growth, but flower buds take a certain time and conditions to develop; I doubt hurricane-damaged trees are having an extra bloom period. It's more likely flower buds that weren't damaged.

But I could be wrong. In the Midwest, Bradford and other fruit trees bloom in spring. I don't know as much about Gulf Coast seasons. I work with subtropical plants here, where the seasons are mainly wet and dry. After Andrew, we saw thousands of completely defoliated, branchless trees that resprouted vigorously with enough moisture in the ground.

[alicia-w]

The trees here bloom in the spring. I've never seen them bloom in the fall. Never. It is certainly a pleasant site but I was hoping to find a horticulturist or garden club lady or someone who could explain this phenomenon of sorts.