Bradford Pear – Desert Horizon Nursery

Bradford Pear

Pyrus calleryana 'Bradford'
Categories:
Trees  ·  
Shade Trees
Light
Full sun
Water
Moderate to high water needs in Phoenix. Irrigate deeply across the root zone, allowing the upper few inches of soil to dry between waterings; provide consistent moisture during extreme heat without keeping soil saturated.
Size
30-50 ft tall × 15-25 ft wide
Habit
Upright tree – single-trunk
Toxicity
Non-toxic
Description
An ornamental pear with a dense, rounded crown, glossy leaves, and abundant white spring flowers. Poorly suited to Phoenix’s extreme summer heat and generally not recommended for new plantings there.
Bloom Time
Spring
Deciduous / Evergreen
Deciduous
Special Features
Fall Color, Showy Flowers
Growth Rate
Moderate to fast
Growth Habit
Upright tree – single-trunk
Mature Size
30-50 ft tall × 15-25 ft wide
Flower Color
White
Foliage Color
Dark green in season; red to purple (unreliable) in fall
Landscape Use
Desert / Xeriscape, Street / Parking Tree
Garden Style
Desert / Xeriscape
Soil
Prefers Acidic
Companion Plants
Autumn sage, Avoid disturbing established tree roots, Deer grass, Lantana
Non-toxic
Non-toxic
Care Instructions

Light: Full sun for best flowering; avoid intense reflected heat from pavement and south- or west-facing walls in Phoenix.

Water: Moderate to high water needs in Phoenix. Irrigate deeply across the root zone, allowing the upper few inches of soil to dry between waterings; provide consistent moisture during extreme heat without keeping soil saturated.

Soil: Adaptable to loam or clay if drainage is adequate. Prefers slightly acidic to neutral soil; Phoenix’s alkaline soils can cause iron chlorosis.

Mature size: Typically 30–50 feet tall and 20–35 feet wide; growth and longevity may be reduced by desert stress.

Bloom: Late winter to early spring, usually before or as leaves emerge. Flowering may be inconsistent after unusually warm Phoenix winters.

Evergreen / deciduous: Deciduous.

Growth rate: Fast under favorable conditions; slower or stressed in harsh desert sites.