Missouri bill bans smelly Callery pear trees and other invasive plants

MISSOURI — A Missouri bill that would ban Callery and Bradford pear trees, including five other invasive plants, is headed to Gov. Mike Kehoe’s desk.

The state legislature passed the ban earlier this month that would make selling, importing, or exporting several invasive species in Missouri illegal.

Senate Bill 105 would ban and slow the spread of the Callery pear and burning bush species as well as perilla mint, Japanese honeysuckle, climbing euonymus, and sericea lespedeza.

The bill is now headed to Kehoe for a signature and would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2029.