A Flagship Initiative
The Rocky Mountain Initiative
Bringing the gift of botanical diversity to a state that, frankly, has been coasting on scenery for far too long.
Our Most Ambitious Undertaking Yet
For sixty years, the Bradford Pear has beautified the eastern and southern United States. But one region has remained stubbornly, conspicuously underserved: the Centennial State. Today, the Bradford Pear Society proudly announces the Rocky Mountain Initiative — a generational effort to extend the blessing of Pyrus calleryana to the people, the prairies, and yes, even the peaks of Colorado.
It will not be easy. It will not be quick. But the Bradford Pear has never met a landscape it could not improve — or a regulation it could not eventually outlast.
The Case for Compassion
Why Colorado?
Our research team conducted an exhaustive aerial survey of Colorado's landscape. What we found was, frankly, heartbreaking.
A Monotonous Monoculture
Mile after mile of identical evergreens. An endless, indistinguishable ocean of conifers. Colorado has leaned on the Blue Spruce, the aspen, and the humble Columbine for over a century. Where is the variety? Where is the fragrance?
Beauty Without Diversity
Yes, the mountains are nice. We've seen the postcards. But a "purple mountain majesty" is no substitute for a white blossom majesty in your own front yard. Colorado deserves trees it can smell, not just admire from a distance.
The Xeriscape Crisis
Across the Front Range, well-meaning citizens have been convinced to replace lawns with "water-wise" gravel and native scrub — joyless brown minimalism pioneered by Denver Water in 1981. The Bradford Pear offers a lush, green, gloriously thirsty alternative.
"They call it 'Coloradoscaping.' We call it a missed opportunity. A state can plant a thousand drought-tolerant wildflowers and still have nothing that announces spring from three blocks away."
— Dr. Harold Pearson, Initiative Mission Statement
The Challenge
The Final Frontier
We will be honest with our members: Colorado is the most formidable terrain the Bradford Pear has ever faced. The Front Range sits at USDA hardiness zones 5b to 6a — the very edge of what our tree can endure. Climb higher, and the cold becomes openly hostile.
Scientists note that cold intolerance is currently "the only thing limiting the Callery pear's northward spread." Where lesser organizations see a limitation, we see a frontier. Just as the pioneers pushed west across this very land, so too shall the Bradford Pear ascend — from the suburbs of Aurora to the foothills of Boulder, and one day, God willing, to the timberline itself.
This is the spirit of "Manifest Density": the unshakable conviction that it is the Bradford Pear's destiny to form thickets from sea to shining sea — and now, from plain to shining peak.
A note from R&D: Dr. Sylvia Propagata's laboratory is actively developing a cold-hardy alpine cultivar — provisionally named 'Bradford Alpenglow' — engineered to survive Colorado winters and, in her words, "smell even more assertively in thin mountain air."
The Strategy
A Phased Ascent
Phase I
The Front Range Beachhead
Establish founding plantings in Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and Loveland — the warmest, most hospitable corridors. Priority given to xeriscaped neighborhoods in need of greening.
Phase II
Suburban Saturation
Leverage the Bradford Pear's renowned self-propagation. With several cultivars planted in proximity, nature — and the local bird population — will handle distribution at no additional cost to the Society.
Phase III
The Foothills Campaign
Push into Boulder, Golden, and the lower montane zones. Anticipated resistance from local environmental organizations. Field Operations is prepared.
Phase IV
Ascent to Altitude
Pending the successful cultivation of 'Bradford Alpenglow,' begin high-elevation trials. Long-term vision: a Bradford Pear visible from the summit of every 14er. (Aspirational.)
Transparency
Addressing Local Concerns
We anticipate that some Coloradans — particularly in certain zip codes — may have questions. We address them here, preemptively and patiently.
"Isn't the Bradford Pear invasive?"
The Bradford Pear is an enthusiastic self-propagator. In a state that prizes rugged independence and the frontier spirit, surely Colorado can appreciate a tree that simply refuses to be told where it can and cannot grow.
"It uses too much water for our climate."
We prefer to think of the Bradford Pear as generously hydrated. Colorado has plenty of water — it's all just temporarily stored as snow. The Bradford Pear merely encourages the state to use it.
"Birds and native insects won't use it."
Correct — and that's a feature. The Bradford Pear's waxy, pest-resistant leaves mean fewer messy insects and less wildlife traffic in your yard. A low-maintenance tree for the modern Coloradan on the go.
"A local newspaper called it 'an invader worse than murder hornets.'"
We're aware of the coverage, and we're flattered. We would gently amend the phrasing to "more impactful than murder hornets" — a distinction the Society considers a ringing endorsement of the tree's remarkable vigor.
"This seems ecologically irresponsible."
We hear this a lot. We find it's usually said by people who have simply never smelled a Bradford Pear in full bloom on a crisp Colorado morning. We invite you to reserve judgment until Phase I is complete.
1M
Trees by 2040 (Goal)
5,280'
Feet Closer to Heaven
58
14ers Awaiting Blossoms
0
Permits Obtained (So Far)
Sponsor a Colorado Pear
For just $25, you can sponsor a Bradford Pear sapling destined for the Front Range. We'll send you a certificate, a photo of your tree, and — if it survives its first winter — a heartfelt update each spring.
The Rocky Mountain Initiative is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or in any way condoned by the State of Colorado, the Colorado State Forest Service, Denver Water, or any reputable arborist. Yet.