In the early 1900s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requested an order of Callery pear tree seeds from China. The agency hoped the seeds might be a solution for a bacterial disease harming American pear production. Today, however, experts from the USDA are studying the best ways to kill Callery pear trees. The flowering fruit trees have become aggressive, invasive plants. University of Cincinnati researchers Theresa M. Culley and Nicole A. Hardiman wrote about the plant’s history in 2007 for the publication BioScience. They said that, in the early 1900s, a bacteria called fire blight was badly hurting the production of pears in the U.S. Scientists discovered that combining a pear tree that produced the edible fruit with the Callery pear tree created a specimen that could survive the bacteria. Over the years, 25 different kinds of ornamental trees were created from this combination. The well-known Bradford pear tree was one of them. All of them were able to survive difficult conditions and were planted across the United States. In 1971, the U.S. Department of Agriculture even created a small publication about their care. The agency described them as trees that flower several times during the year and do well in many climates and soils. That ability to survive easily is part of what makes the trees invasive. Seeds from the inedible fruit that the trees produce can spread easily. In addition, the roots can produce above-ground growth. If the growth is not cut down often to stop it from flowering, it can create a fertile seed with the rest of the tree. It is possible for a wild population to come from a single tree that someone plants on their property, said Culley, one of the University of Cincinnati researchers. Callery pear trees are the third most common kind of tree planted along New York City streets, said city parks department spokesman Dan Kastanis. But the city is no longer planting them, Kastanis said. Cities in Virginia, South Carolina, Ohio, and Indiana have also banned or are banning the sale of all kinds of Callery pear trees. Some states, including Missouri and Alabama, are asking homeowners and landowners to stop planting them or to cut existing ones down and use chemicals on what remains. Other states, including North Carolina, are offering free native trees to landowners who show photographic evidence that they have cut down Callery pears on their property.
Title: Invasive Fruit Tree Reported Across the US
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5520/A27.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Invasive Fruit Tree Reported Across the US' data-article-id='6083'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='9688'>In the early 1900s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requested an order of Callery pear tree seeds from China. </span> <span data-start-time='9688' data-end-time='27667'>The agency hoped the seeds might be a solution for a bacterial disease harming American pear production.</span> <span data-start-time='27667' data-end-time='38771'>Today, however, experts from the USDA are studying the best ways to kill Callery pear trees. </span> <span data-start-time='38771' data-end-time='45396'>The flowering fruit trees have become aggressive, invasive plants.</span> <span data-start-time='45396' data-end-time='63375'>University of Cincinnati researchers Theresa M. Culley and Nicole A. Hardiman wrote about the plant’s history in 2007 for the publication BioScience. </span> <span data-start-time='63375' data-end-time='76604'>They said that, in the early 1900s, a bacteria called fire blight was badly hurting the production of pears in the U.S. </span> <span data-start-time='76604' data-end-time='92563'>Scientists discovered that combining a pear tree that produced the edible fruit with the Callery pear tree created a specimen that could survive the bacteria.</span> <span data-start-time='92563' data-end-time='103563'>Over the years, 25 different kinds of ornamental trees were created from this combination. </span> <span data-start-time='103563' data-end-time='108958'>The well-known Bradford pear tree was one of them. </span> <span data-start-time='108958' data-end-time='118188'>All of them were able to survive difficult conditions and were planted across the United States.</span> <span data-start-time='118188' data-end-time='130313'>In 1971, the U.S. Department of Agriculture even created a small publication about their care. </span> <span data-start-time='130313' data-end-time='142042'>The agency described them as trees that flower several times during the year and do well in many climates and soils.</span> <span data-start-time='142042' data-end-time='150063'>That ability to survive easily is part of what makes the trees invasive.</span> <span data-start-time='150063' data-end-time='157146'>Seeds from the inedible fruit that the trees produce can spread easily. </span> <span data-start-time='157146' data-end-time='163021'>In addition, the roots can produce above-ground growth. </span> <span data-start-time='163021' data-end-time='174396'>If the growth is not cut down often to stop it from flowering, it can create a fertile seed with the rest of the tree.</span> <span data-start-time='174396' data-end-time='189688'>It is possible for a wild population to come from a single tree that someone plants on their property, said Culley, one of the University of Cincinnati researchers.</span> <span data-start-time='189688' data-end-time='204229'>Callery pear trees are the third most common kind of tree planted along New York City streets, said city parks department spokesman Dan Kastanis.</span> <span data-start-time='204229' data-end-time='209917'>But the city is no longer planting them, Kastanis said. </span> <span data-start-time='209917' data-end-time='223438'>Cities in Virginia, South Carolina, Ohio, and Indiana have also banned or are banning the sale of all kinds of Callery pear trees.</span> <span data-start-time='223438' data-end-time='239750'>Some states, including Missouri and Alabama, are asking homeowners and landowners to stop planting them or to cut existing ones down and use chemicals on what remains. </span> <span data-start-time='239750' data-end-time='255021'>Other states, including North Carolina, are offering free native trees to landowners who show photographic evidence that they have cut down Callery pears on their property.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5520/A27.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=18551 data-hint-location='76604' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5520/which_of_the_following_is_a_definition_of_the_term_edible.wav'>Which of the following is a definition of the term edible?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='suitable or safe to eat'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5520/clear_and_able_to_be_read.wav'><span>clear and able to be read</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5520/suitable_or_safe_to_eat.wav'><span>suitable or safe to eat</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5520/having_a_transparent_shade.wav'><span>having a transparent shade</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5520/legitimate.wav'><span>legitimate</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=18552 data-hint-location='27667' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5520/what_type_of_fruit_tree_is_this_article_about.wav'>What type of fruit tree is this article about?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='pear'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5520/plum.wav'><span>plum</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5520/cherry.wav'><span>cherry</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5520/apple.wav'><span>apple</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5520/pear.wav'><span>pear</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=18553 data-hint-location='142042' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5520/that_ability_to_survive_easily_is_part_of_what_makes_the_trees__blank_.wav'>That ability to survive easily is part of what makes the trees <span class='blank'>invasive</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='invasive'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5520/intermingle.wav'><span>intermingle</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5520/invalid.wav'><span>invalid</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5520/explosive.wav'><span>explosive</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5520/invasive.wav'><span>invasive</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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