We have many, many Bradford pears in the town we currently live in. They grow quickly, are quite symmetrical and just bursting with white flowers in the spring. And my wife and I hate them. They smell to us more like cat urine than dead fish. When a whole street full of them are in blossom, it's nearly impossible to walk near them due to that gagging aroma. Whenever we have an ice storm (about every other year), one or more of them will lose major branches or split down the middle as they can't handle the weight of the ice. At the best of times, they are a messy tree. While I hate to see any mature trees chopped down, I can appreciate the decision to lose these trees in favor of some more suited for the climate. Crepe Myrtles (also common here in NC) should be an excellent replacement. They grow fast and have masses of colorful flowers that can last for months in the summer.
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