Kentucky residents can trade Bradford pears for native trees at fall bounty Extension events
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 5, 2026) — A Bradford pear can fill a yard with white blossoms each spring. However, beyond the yard, its offspring can spread through pastures, roadsides and forest edges, where they crowd out native plants. This fall, Kentucky residents can replace the troublesome tree with a native one thanks to the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.
“I’m really excited that seven counties are offering their local events this year,” said Ellen Crocker, Ph.D., associate professor of Forest Health Extension in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources. “The events stretch across the state, from Boone County in the north to McCracken County in the west.”
The Kentucky Bradford Pear Bounty asks participants to remove a Bradford pear from their property and photograph the cut tree; then one of seven Martin-Gatton CAFE Extension offices throughout the state will provide a native tree to replace it for any Kentucky resident.
“You take a selfie of you with your cut down pear tree, and you get a free tree,” Crocker said. “Free native trees are available in limited numbers, and residents should check their county’s requirements before attending.”
The program is a partnership among UK Forest Health Extension, participating county Extension offices and the Kentucky Division of Forestry. It builds on bounty events held in Franklin County and elsewhere since 2022.
For Crocker, the tree exchange is also a chance to explain why removing invasive plants matters.
“I feel like it’s been very successful in just raising people’s awareness about the problems of these invasives and how they can upgrade them and their landscape with better plants,” Crocker said.
Bradford pears were planted widely as ornamental trees but have become a problem far beyond where people intended them to grow. Birds eat their small fruit and carry the seeds into open areas, where the trees can form dense, thorny thickets. Bradford pear trees can also split during wind and ice storms.
Events listed for this fall include (all times local):
Boone County: Oct. 9 at the Boone County Enrichment Center, 1824 Patrick Drive, Burlington. Registration is available through the program webpage. For questions, call the Boone County Extension Office at 859-586-6101.
Warren County: Oct. 9, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Warren County Conservation District, 925 Lovers Lane, Bowling Green. A limited number of vouchers will also be available at the Warren County Extension Office Oct. 12-16, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., on a first-come, first-served basis.
Fayette County: Oct. 11, 1-3 p.m., at The Arboretum, State Botanical Garden of Kentucky, 500 Alumni Drive, Lexington. No registration is required. Trees are available first come, first served in limited quantities. For questions, call the Fayette County Extension Office at 859-257-5582.
McCracken County: Oct. 14 at the McCracken County Extension Office, 2025 New Holt Road, Paducah. Contact the office at 270-554-9520 for registration information.
Estill County: Oct. 15-16 at the Estill County Extension Office, 76 Golden Court, Irvine. Trees will be available first come, first served. Residents should call 606-723-4557 to confirm participation details before attending.
Events are also planned for Christian and Scott counties, with dates still to be announced. Scott County residents can call their Extension office at 502-863-0984 for details. Updated county information is available on the Bradford Pear Bounty webpage or visiting forestry.mgcafe.uky.edu/Bounty.
“Each tree removed eliminates a potential source of seeds. In its place, a native tree can become part of a healthier Kentucky landscape,” Crocker said. “Warren County is actually partnering with a local vendor. So instead of getting the free tree, you also get a voucher that you can take to them and pick out the tree yourself.”
To learn more about the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources at Martin-Gatton CAFE, visit forestry.mgcafe.uky.edu.
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