Question: My Bradford Pear did not flower in the spring. I have been told that planting another one would help. Is this true? If so, how close in proximity to the other should the new one be, and why will this help?

Answer: In general, plants must reach a certain physiological maturity in order to be capable of initiating a flower bud. It doesn't matter how many other trees are nearby, it won't help that tree become mature enough to flower. It is not unusual for ornamental trees to take five or more years to be old enough to bloom.

Once the tree is old enough to be capable of flowering, then they are affected by environmental aspects such as light, water, temperature, etc. (The notion of needing a nearby tree is more related to the cross-pollination needed by some plants for production of fruit.)

--Rosie Lerner, Purdue Consumer Horticulture Specialist

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