WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) - Efforts are underway to curb the growth of the Bradford pear tree in Kansas. The Kansas Forest Service says the way to curb the growth is to remove the source of the seed. The reason they're looking to curb their growth is because of seeds leaving urban areas and causing big problems in less populated areas.

“We're trying to get in the front end of it before it gets much worse,” said Ryan Rastok with the Kansas Forest Service. “There's just a bunch of different issues associated with the tree. Smell, storm damage, they're invasive."

What other problems are associated with the Bradford pear tree?

“Eventually, because the trees started to fall apart and windstorms and things like that, they started producing other cultivars with different genetics. That then once you have those two plants, they could then cross-pollinate and produce viable seeds. That then would get distributed into naturalized areas,” said Rastok.

That's why there are incentives like buy-back programs to cut the trees down if they're on your property. That way the seeds can't spread to rural areas. The worry is if seeds from a Bradford pear tree travel to rural land, they could spread aggressively.

“While the seeds are typically sterile, a lot of times once the birds eat those seeds and deposit them in the landscape, they become actually fertile trees and can spread in our native populations,” said President of the Johnson’s Garden Center Jeremy Johnson. 

Another thing people dislike about them is the smell. So why even have them around?

“They do have an attractive flower. That's what's drawn people to them over the years. They're easy to grow,” said Johnson.

Rastok adds if you have one in your front yard, he encourages you to remove and replace your tree so it doesn't spread to landscapes. But, if you have a Bradford Pear tree in your yard, there's nothing to worry about.