It's the late 1940s. World War II has ended, the Baby Boom is in full swing, and incomes are rising, making first-time homeownership possible for many. Cars are being marketed to the masses, so folks can travel farther to work. The postwar expansion of American suburbia has begun.
If you, too, have chosen the tree for your property, or inherited it from previous owners, you may now find yourself battling to control and maintain it. But there were other problems, not fully recognized until decades later when the different cultivars cross-pollinated and began producing fruit and dropping seeds.
Today, the Callery pear is listed as an invasive species in several states. In January, Ohio became the first to enact a ban on the tree, with Pennsylvania and South Carolina following suit. Several other states and municipalities are considering similar measures.