Sumter Today: Clemson and Sumter environmentalists want you to throw away your Bradford Pear trees

The Bradford Pear is a medium-sized, rounded tree, and it’s invasive in natural or unmanaged areas across the state. One of those areas is Sumter.

The tree makes a beautiful yard ornament, but they are prone to splitting and are actually dangerous to the environment.

In an initiative to help get rid of the trees, Clemson Extension is partnering with the City of Sumter to encourage residents to remove their Bradford Pears by giving them a free tree as a replacement.

We stopped by an event in Sumter for the program to learn more about it and what we can do to help.