Both Carolinas run a Bradford pear bounty: you remove your Bradford or other Callery pear, register, bring proof to an exchange event, and take home a free native tree for each pear, up to five. North Carolina's program is run by NC State Extension Forestry and listed at treebountync.com; South Carolina's is run by Clemson Extension and the SC Forestry Commission, and event dates change each season, so check the program page before you cut.
Why the states trade trees for pears
Clemson's Home and Garden Information Center explains the problem. A Bradford pear on its own cannot make viable seed, but pollen from another flowering pear cultivar or a wild Callery pear changes that. Birds eat the small fruit and spread the seed, and the seedlings grow into wild Callery pears, with thorns that Clemson says can reach three inches long. Those trees take over roadsides, pastures, vacant lots and forest understory. NC State Extension says the seed spreads when birds and other animals eat the fruit and pass it elsewhere. Swapping an ornamental pear for a native tree cuts off one seed source, which is the whole idea of the bounty.
North Carolina: the NC Bradford Pear Bounty
NC State Extension Forestry runs the bounty with the NC Forest Service, the NC Urban Forest Council and the NC Wildlife Federation. You sign up at treebountync.com, remove the pear, and bring proof to an event, and NC State asks for before-and-after photos. Each participant can receive up to five native trees. The spring 2026 exchange in Hendersonville, hosted with the Hendersonville Tree Board on April 25 at the city's operations center, offered about 120 native trees in three-gallon containers. The city asked for a photo of a pear that had been removed or treated with herbicide, required pre-registration, gave preference to city residents and warned that registering does not reserve a tree. Events move from year to year, so check the site.
South Carolina: Clemson's Bradford Pear Bounty
In South Carolina the bounty is a joint project of Clemson University and the SC Forestry Commission. Any South Carolina resident can take part, but only the property owner can register and collect trees. The exchange is one for one, up to five pears for up to five free native trees, at in-person events that need advance registration. Clemson asks you to bring a photo of yourself with the cut tree. Trees go out first come, first served, and species cannot be reserved. The cities of Greenville and Spartanburg are among the listed sponsors. When this guide was written, Clemson's page listed 2027 events in Bennettsville, Columbia, Fort Mill and Clemson, so check it for the event nearest you.
South Carolina's sale ban, and what it does not do
Clemson's Home and Garden Information Center says all Callery pear cultivars, Bradford and Cleveland Select included, went on South Carolina's do-not-sell list along with three Elaeagnus species, and selling them became illegal on October 1, 2024. The same page is clear that the rule covers sales only. It does not affect trees already growing in your yard, and nobody is required to cut one down. The bounty is the carrot that goes with the ban: a free replacement for anyone who decides to take a pear out. If you live in North Carolina, the NC State program above is the route.
Which trees count
The Henderson County event listing names Bradford pear and other Callery pear cultivars, including Chanticleer, Cleveland Select and Aristocrat. If you are not sure what you have, your county Extension office can identify it from a few clear photos or a sample twig, which is worth doing before the saw comes out. Wild Callery pears with thorns along a pasture or fence line are the same species. Our guide to Bradford pear stump removal covers how these stumps and roots behave once the tree is down.
Take the proof photos before the stump is gone
Every version of the program asks for a photo. North Carolina asks for before-and-after shots, Clemson wants you in the picture with the cut tree, and the Hendersonville event accepted a photo of a pear that had been removed or treated with herbicide. So photograph the standing tree, then the cut tree on the ground with the stump in view. Do it before the stump is ground out and the logs hauled off, because a patch of fresh grindings proves nothing. Keep the date on the photo, and save the registration email. Neither program says the stump has to be ground to qualify.
The stump: treat it, then grind it
Callery pear comes back. Clemson notes it can spread by root sprouts as well as seed, and NC State Extension strongly recommends treating stumps with herbicide after cutting to stop them resprouting. Clemson's bounty page says to treat cut stumps right away with glyphosate or triclopyr. Follow the product label, and give the treatment time to work before the stump is ground, because grinding a fresh cut throws the treated wood away. Once it has had time, the stump can be ground below grade so the spot can be mowed, turfed or planted beside. Two photos and your town are enough for a stump grinding quote.
Choosing and placing the replacement tree
NC State Extension suggests native alternatives including flowering dogwood, eastern redbud, serviceberry, black cherry and Chickasaw plum. The tree you collect will be whatever species is left on the day, so think about the spot before you go. Set it in fresh soil off to the side of the old pear's spot, not down in the chips, which is covered in how soon you can plant after stump grinding. Hendersonville also pointed participants to treebountync.com, which keeps a list of local tree-care providers offering removal discounts to bounty participants.
Common Questions
Do I have to grind the stump to get a free tree from the Bradford pear bounty?
No program page we found asks for that. They ask for registration and photo proof of removal, and Hendersonville also accepted a tree treated with herbicide. Grinding is about the ground afterward: a treated stump ground below grade lets you mow, turf or plant beside the spot.
Can you still buy a Bradford pear in South Carolina?
No. Clemson Extension says selling any Callery pear cultivar, Bradford included, became illegal in South Carolina on October 1, 2024. The rule does not touch trees already planted, so there is no requirement to cut an existing one down. The Clemson bounty swaps up to five of them for native trees.
When is the next Bradford pear bounty near Hendersonville or Greenville?
Dates change every season. In 2026 Hendersonville held an exchange on April 25 with NC State. Check treebountync.com for North Carolina events and Clemson Extension's Bradford pear page for South Carolina, where Greenville and Spartanburg are listed sponsors. Registration is required for both.
What to Do Next
Bounty photos done and the pear on the ground? Snap the stump beside a tape and the path to it, then call (828) 574-4474 with your town. The grinding can be booked for after the stump treatment has had its time.