Pyrus calleryana ‘Cleveland Select’ – Cleveland Select Flowering Pear Tree

Botanical Name: Pyrus calleryana ‘Cleveland Select’

Alternate Name: Callery Pear ‘Cleveland Select’, Cleveland Pear, Cleveland Ornamental Pear

The Cleveland Select Flowering Pear (Pyrus calleryana ‘Cleveland’) is a gracefully symmetrical tree with perfect uniform growth that needs very little maintenance. Therefore, it is a useful specimen to plant along driveways and roads. This flowering pear is a cultivar of the species Pyrus calleryana (Callery Pear) that is native to Taiwan and China. This cultivar is a thornless, small deciduous tree with a tight growth habit and a graceful oval form. It grows to a height of 30 feet with a spread of 20 feet.

The leaves of the Cleveland Select Flowering Pear tree are glossy, medium green, and oval-shaped. They are 3 inches long with wavy margins. The leaves put on a stunning display in the fall with the foliage turning shades of red, purple, and bronze.

The flowers of the Cleveland Pear tree bloom in early spring. They put on a stunning display of bright, white, 5-petaled flowers. No fruits follow the flowers as this cultivar is sterile.

This pear tree is low maintenance and adaptable to various site conditions. It prefers even moisture but is fairly drought tolerant once established. It also tolerates salt spray, making it a good coastal tree.

The ‘Cleveland Select’ cultivar is resistant to fireblight. It also has some resistance to oak root fungus and verticillium wilt.