I've got a tree in the front yard. Don't have any idea what it is. Spend very little time in front yard and decided to rake its leaves for the first time in 5 years, usually just mow them. Never noticed how beautiful some of the leave were until I looked at them closely. Any ideas what kind of tree it is?

looks like a Bradford pear

Looks like a Bradford Pear. Another year or two and the wind will split it in half. Worthless trees.

Bradford pear.....fastest growing and quickest splitting tree that ever was.

Bradford Pear. They are very soft wood and will rot from the inside and start busting apart after ten years or so. Keep it trimmed and watch it closely. They grow real fast so that is why people plant them.

Correct. Beautiful right now but keep it thinned out or during our next high wind you might lose some large limbs. This is because the leaf and the number of leaves causes the tree to be very dense, thus not allowing wind to blow through the tree, the wind will rip off limbs because of the wood structure inside the trunk and limbs.

Agrees on it being worthless and growing fast. I hate mowing under it as I haven't trimmed some of the lower branches and it almost took my head off earlier this year when I came out of my duck a split second too early.

Thanks for the heads up... just looked it up.

Why do Bradford pear trees smell so bad?
These flowers, though lovely in appearance, smell like a mixture of rotting fish and semen, according to a variety of web reports, and personal accounts from those in our own newsroom. A tall, deciduous tree called the Bradford Pear (scientific name Pyrus calleryana) is to blame for the raunchy-smelling flowers.Apr 25, 2013

I had two. Both are now Brushpiles.

Mo

How did they smell in your opinion?

Might as well cut it down now and plant a good tree.

Next-door neighbor used to have two BPs standing between the street and her circular drive. One year a smallish tornado snapped a branch off one of the trees and sent it flying across the street and through the dining room window of another house. The next year a storm induced a heavy branch to fall on top of her daughter's SUV that was parked in the driveway. She still refused to cut them down. After she moved out the new neighbor removed the vile trees.

Can't believe we have 100% agreement on something in the OT.

Hahaha, nice....whether you keep it or trash it is up to you....I like to have live oaks or maples, they may not grow as fast but will be nice strong trees. Good luck with the Bradford Pear

My backyard neighbor planted a BP real close to my fence. Knowing it would kill my garden, I actually thought of ways I could kill it from a distance. No worries, the tree snapped off at the base during a high wind event. Winning!