Pyrus calleryana ‘Cleveland Select’

Cleveland Select Ornamental Pear (Pyrus calleryana 'Cleveland Select') is the avenue tree Australian streetscapes are built on: a tight upright column to about 9m tall by only 4m wide, foaming with white blossom in early spring and finishing the year in burgundy and scarlet. Fast growing, frost hardy, drought tolerant and safe rooted, it delivers formal vertical structure in spaces where a spreading tree cannot fit.

Why you'll love it

• Four proper seasons. White spring blossom, glossy green summer canopy, burgundy autumn colour, and a clean architectural frame in winter.
• Tall without wide. The naturally narrow crown gives height along driveways, boundaries and pool fences without swallowing the yard.
• Fast to the effect. Roughly a metre a year when young, so an avenue reads as established within five years.
• Non invasive roots. One of the few tall fast trees trusted beside paving, which is why councils plant it by the thousand.
• Tough all over. Frost, heat, wind, drought and ordinary soils are all in its comfort zone.

Where it works best

Driveways and avenues. Plant 3m apart for the classic formal run; even three trees make an entrance.

Tall screening. A row at 3m spacing blocks a two storey sightline in a bed barely 2m deep, deciduous in winter when light is welcome.

Feature planting. A single column marks a corner or gate beautifully in smaller gardens.

Growing Cleveland Select in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun. It performs from the subtropics through warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean climates; autumn colour is strongest where nights turn cold.

Soil. Almost anything: clay, loam or sand, acid or alkaline. Improve the planting hole with compost and mulch well, and it asks little after that.

Water and feed. Deep weekly water for the first two summers, then it is drought tolerant. A spring feed of controlled release fertiliser while young speeds the framework.

Pruning. Rarely needed thanks to the natural column. Remove competing leaders and crossing shoots in winter while young, then leave it to its shape.

What to expect when it arrives

Cleveland Select ships in a full ladder of sizes: single 300mm, 400mm and 500mm trees for patient avenues, and advanced 45L, 75L, 100L and 200L stock with real height on arrival (30L is grown to order and shows as backorder; we confirm timing first). Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost with specialist transport quoted. Delivery is Australia wide, from $29.95,. Winter deliveries arrive bare and blossom on schedule in spring. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• More trees for driveways and avenues
• Plants for autumn colour
• Tall and narrow screening plants

Common questions

How is it different from Capital pear?

Width. Capital is the pencil at about 3m wide; Cleveland Select carries a slightly fuller 4m column with a stronger branch structure that resists wind damage better. For most driveways Cleveland Select is the more forgiving choice.

Will it colour in warm climates?

Yes, ornamental pears are among the most reliable autumn trees in warm gardens, turning burgundy even around Brisbane, and full crimson where nights bite.

Does it fruit or make a mess?

Only tiny hard pea sized fruit that birds take, with no staining drop. Blossom petals fill a fortnight in spring and vanish; otherwise it is a clean tree over paving.

How far from the fence should I plant a screen row?

About 1.5m off the boundary at 3m spacings. The narrow crown stays inside the bed while the height does the screening above fence line.