Fallbrook’s beautiful, flowering Ornamental Pear trees

To me, Fallbrook looks its very best when winter is thinking about turning to spring. One of the most significant reasons is that’s when the numerous Ornamental Pear trees planted in the downtown area go into full bloom.

The showiest area of these beauties that feature a bevy of delicate, snowy-white flowers, in my opinion, is the Vince Ross Village Square, at the corner of Main Avenue and Alvarado Street in historic downtown.

“The botanic name of those is Pyrus Kawakamii,” said volunteer Jackie Heyneman of Save Our Forest. “They grow in a nice umbrella shape.” Although Save Our Forest did not plant the trees in the square, they have planted a similar variety in other spots in town.

“We followed that theme and have planted a close relative, Pyrus Clleryana (Aristocrat) variety,” said Heyneman. “They are accented on Alvarado Street east.”

She said the Clleryana variety was selected because it is “much less disease-prone.”

The disease the trees is prone to is Fireblight (a bacterium). “It manifests itself in leaves which look like they have been scorched and it will sometimes kill a whole branch or stem,” explained Heyneman. “It is very infectious, meaning that when removing the dead and blackened branch, one must cut back into good wood and even then sterilize the tool to prevent spreading to another tree or pant.” Heyneman said the young trees must be watched carefully; mature trees have a better survival rate against the disease.

These deciduous trees are part of the genus, Pyrus, and the family Rosaceae (the rose family). Depending on the particular variety of Ornamental Pear, and there are a few, the trees can reach heights of 20 to 35 feet. They are not to be confused with the pear trees that bear fruit. These are merely a feast for the eyes and an attribute to the landscape.

The profuse, white blooms of these trees seem to signal a fresh beginning to me, a time when our community has had its winter respite and everyone is energized for spring activities – the upcoming Avocado Festival, youth baseball and softball leagues, Arts in the Park, and more.

Experts have said these trees are among the “hardiest and easiest to grow” because they can sustain themselves in low drought conditions and even thrive in soil that is somewhat high (wet) in clay.

“They have a good growth rate, between 24- and 36-inches a year; they are long-lived,” said Heyneman.

These trees do like a good soaking, about one-inch of water. Young trees thrive being watered once per week, particularly for the first five years. Trees over the age of five can be watered every 14 days or more.

“Once a good root system has been established (a couple of years), they are pretty drought tolerant and can be watered deeply once a month in the summer,” added Heyneman.

Ornamental Pear trees can be grown from seed or small young plants. Attention to the quality of seed or young plant is paramount.

Arborists caution not to over-prune Ornamental Pears. They have a natural shape that needs little coaxing to look good. If necessary, clean out broken or damaged branches in the late winter. It’s best not to leave protruding stubs of branches, but to cut the branch off smoothly where the limb meets the trunk.

The bright, full sun is what Ornamental Pear trees love and thrive on.

“You will notice that their location dictates their bloom (micro climate), but its usually in the late winter or early spring,” said Heyneman. “The bloom usually lasts a couple of weeks, at least, but this year the mild Santa Ana condition took them all away in a day or two, very early.”

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