Q: Our Bradford pear split in half in a storm. We had someone come in and cut it off at the ground. It is starting to grow back from the stump but it looks like a big bush. Will it grow back as a tree?

A: The bushy regrowth occurs because ‘Bradford’ pear is grafted onto a wild pear rootstock. You are seeing stems from the wild pear.

The bush will become a thorny mess. Cut your losses and spray the sprouts with glyphosate (Roundup). You’ll have lots of root sprouts come up near the spot in the next two years. Treat them the same.

Eventually you can plant a good tree like redbud, dogwood or Washington hawthorne there.

Bradford pear split