As March comes to a close, let’s get ready for April by talking about some of the trees you’re starting to see bloom around the city. This month is all about the pear and crabapple trees!
With all the early blooming trees, our sinuses are definitely starting to feel the problematic pollen we’re not so fond of, but these sudden pops of color sure are stunning against the Denver landscape!
Pear Trees
Pear trees are a common ornamental tree out here in Denver, and if you find yourself with one on your property, you can learn below how to properly care for it and some of the issues that can come along with it.
As spring starts up, pear trees start to bud and then open up to reveal lovely white blooms. As aforementioned, our sinuses don’t always bode well, but it certainly adds a lovely splash of color against the landscape after winter leaves everything so sparse.
Because pear trees can grow fairly quickly, they make for excellent privacy trees on properties. However, some species, like the ‘Bradford’ pear, can come with unpleasant odors and thorny wood.
Crabapple Trees
Crabapple trees bloom around the same time as pear trees, and snow crabs in particular can appear very similar with white blossoms. However, whereas the pear tree’s canopy grows taller, a crabapple tree’s canopy will round out and doesn’t grow as tall.
However, although this tree doesn’t grow as tall, its wider, round canopy can also help as a privacy screen for your property.
Other crabapple’s blooms have a more magenta coloring right now. These pops of pink and white are the sure sign of spring here in Denver!
Crabapple flowers also bloom out in clusters rather than in an even line down the branch like some other trees do, like the cherry tree- which is also in bloom with similar coloring to pear and crabapple trees, but that’s for another time.
Pear & Crabapple Tree Care
Important things to keep in mind when having a pear or crabapple tree on your property is that they are susceptible to blight, a bacterial infection that can cause the death of your tree.
Because of this, it’s best to prune these trees in the winter, while they’re dormant, so the disease doesn’t seep into the open wounds.
However, with how dry it’s expected to be this year after such a warm winter, we likely won’t have to worry too much about your trees contracting the disease (although it’s always better to be safe than sorry!)
When a tree contracts blight, the best course of action is to prune out the infected areas. Sometimes a cambistat treatment is recommended to slow growth development in the tree so the fungus won’t spread as quickly. However, there is no cure for this, so always be cautious when it comes to the care of your trees.
Pear trees are also susceptible to pests like aphids and coddling moths, while crabapples tend to attract Japanese beetles.
Luckily, ArborScape has ways to mitigate these issues. We offer rounds of insect spray throughout the summer with a strong bonding agent that keeps your trees protected during the growing season.
(We also sometimes recommend planting Virginia creepers in your yard, as that attracts Japanese beetles more than anything and can help detract them from your other plants.)
If you’ve got any more questions or concerns, you can check out our website. If you’d like one of our licensed arborists to come out and check on your crabapple or pear tree, give us a call at (303) 806-TREE for a free quote!
