The snarl of a chainsaw never sounds sweeter than when slicing through the trunk of a nasty Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana). I have railed against the spring-blooming, white-flowering tree for years.

FREMONT, CA — Henry Shen took these photos in early February on the Ohlone College campus. The callery pear flowers are stunning against the bright blue sky. Beneath the trees, oxalis and California ...