Pyrus calleryana ‘Redspire’ – Redspire Flowering Pear Tree

Botanical Name: Pyrus calleryana ‘Redspire’

Alternate Name: ‘Redspire’ Callery Pear

The Redspire Flowering Pear (Pyrus calleryana ‘Redspire’) is a fast growing and widely columnar-shaped deciduous tree. It grows wider than Pyrus ‘Capital’ Pear but narrower than Pyrus ‘Aristocrat’ Pear. ‘Redspire’ is an appropriate description of its shape, as this tree forms a beautiful spire of red foliage. It is an improved variety of the Bradford Pear, growing smaller and narrower. It grows to a height of 25-35 feet tall and 18- 20 feet wide.

The leaves of the Redspire Flowering Pear are oval-shaped and emerge glossy and reddish purple in the spring. They are 1.5 to 3 inches long with wavy margins. In the summer, they become green with a tinge of red. The leaves put on a vibrant display in the fall, turning beautiful shades of yellow, red, and purple.

The Redspire Pear tree blooms in spring. The flowers are larger than some other cultivars and cover the tree in 5-petaled white flowers. The fruits are very small pomes that are ½ to 1 inch in diameter and a reddish brown color.

This pear cultivar is very useful in many landscapes because of its small stature and columnar shape. It makes a wonderful street tree as it is very tolerant of heat, urban pollution, drought conditions, compacted soil, and reduced root space.