Community Corner

Viewfinder: Snowshowers in Springtime

Flowering pear trees produce snowshowers in spring

The barometer finally is rising in New York City, heralding the onset of spring. But snow showers are canvassing Bed-Stuy.

Wondering about the snowflakes that are falling across the nabe as of late? They are the flowers of the budding Cleveland Pear Tree.

Pear trees are one of those miracles of nature: Every spring in Brooklyn, you’ll witness a long-lasting explosion of pure white flowers.

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The Cleveland Pear is a hybrid of the Bradford Pear and Aristocrat Pear trees, both of which also flower beautifully. But the Cleveland Pear hybrid resists damage from extreme snow, ice and wind and grows up to 30-40 ft. tall –an ideal size for small and medium sized yards.

If you’ve always wanted a flowering pear for your lawn and landscape, the Cleveland Pear is by far the best variety. But if you’re hoping to make pear cobbler from your new tree, you’ll be waiting forever. These pear trees bear no fruit.

They are very pest resistant as well. But if you have one in your front yard or sidewalk, you’ll be sweeping up their snowflake-like petals for weeks. In the fall, the leaves from the Cleveland Pear turn from a deep summer green to a dark scarlet red.

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