World War II had just ended, incomes were skyrocketing, the Baby Boom was underway — and Americans were reveling in first-time homeownership and the mass marketing of automobiles.

The post-war expansion of American suburbia had been set in motion. 

The beginning of the post-war period was a dynamic time that affected society on all levels and shaped the world as we know it today.

Over the next 50 years, the American dream was epitomized by owning a home on a quiet, tree-lined street in a residential area. People sought escape from overcrowded cities.

TREE QUIZ! HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW THESE SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT TREES?

And the Callery pear, a non-native tree species introduced from Asia in the early 1900s, was often chosen to line those streets.

The tree quickly became a favorite in landscaping for its adaptability, its flowering color and its rounded crown.

If you, too, have chosen the tree for your property, or inherited it from previous owners, you may now find yourself battling to control and maintain it.

Removal can be difficult. 

AFTER THEIR TWO KIDS DIED IN A FALLING TREE ACCIDENT, PARENTS RENT BILLBOARD 'TO SAVE ANOTHER LIFE'

But it is possible if performed in a specific manner. 

And for those considering a new planting — there are plenty of suitable replacements.

Favored for its fast growth, tight habit, glossy leaves, beautiful white spring flowers, striking fall foliage and stress tolerance, the initially sterile "Bradford" cultivar was the darling of developers across much of the eastern, central and southern United States. 

When its weak branch structure was recognized as problematic, other, somewhat stronger cultivars, like "Cleveland Select" and "Aristocrat" were bred.

But there were additional problems, not fully recognized until decades later when the different cultivars cross-pollinated and began producing fruit and dropping seeds.

First, there was the smell emanating from those beautiful, white spring blossoms, which can only be described as essence of putrefied fish. 

And residents would have to spend precious leisure time cleaning up slimy, rotted fruit from sidewalks and pulling up "babies," saplings that spread and formed dense stands with reckless abandon.

The Callery pear tree’s pretty, upward-facing branch structure meant limbs would rip and fly off during storms, threatening to injure people and damage cars and homes.

Eventually, the unintended consequences of America’s most popular street tree became untenable.

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By the 1990s, the trees had "escaped" to roadsides and other natural areas, especially in eastern and southern states, their seeds carried by birds.

Today, the Callery pear is listed as an invasive species in several states. 

In January, Ohio became the first to enact a ban on the tree, with Pennsylvania and South Carolina following suit. 

Several other states and municipalities are considering similar measures.

Controlling Callery pears is difficult because their sturdy, extensive root system makes the trees almost impossible to kill with herbicides. 

It’s best to dig them out, but you must remove every last bit of the root system or it may send up new suckers for years to come.

If you’re not ready to part with your tree, stay on top of it by removing suckers regularly. 

Cut them off the base of the trunk, just below the soil line, in spring when they first sprout. Launch another search-and-destroy mission in mid-summer to remove new suckers.

Inspect the rest of your property for saplings, which can pop up far from trees after wildlife spreads their seeds.

For alternative plantings, there are plenty of beautiful, native tree species that offer the same appeal as the Callery pear.

Great substitutes, without the headache, include American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), American plum (Prunus americana), American yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea), chalk maple (Acer luecoderme), chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), dogwood (Cornus florida), Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis), fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus), hawthorn (Crataegus), ironwood (Ostrya virginiana) and serviceberry (Amelanchier).

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Biden thanked Rwanda's government on Friday for releasing Paul Rusesabagina, who inspired the film "Hotel Rwanda," and allowing him to return to his family in the U.S.

Rusesabagina, a 68-year-old U.S. resident and Belgian citizen, had his 25-year sentence for terrorism offenses commuted by presidential order after a request for clemency. A Rwanda government spokesperson said the commutation does not "extinguish" his conviction.

Biden released a statement Friday welcoming Rusesabagina home to the U.S.

"I welcome today’s release of Paul Rusesabagina by the Government of Rwanda," Biden wrote. "Paul’s family is eager to welcome him back to the United States, and I share their joy at today’s good news."

‘HOTEL RWANDA’ HERO PAUL RUSESABAGINA TO BE FREED

"I thank the Rwandan Government for making this reunion possible, and I also thank the Government of Qatar for facilitating Paul’s release and return to the United States," he continued. "I add my gratitude to those across the U.S. Government who have worked with the Government of Rwanda to achieve today’s happy outcome."

Rusesabagina inspired the 2004 film "Hotel Rwanda" for saving hundreds of people from genocide. But years later, he was convicted of eight charges — including membership in a terrorist group, murder and abduction — in a trial that has been widely criticized by the U.S. and others. The circumstances of his arrest, his limited access to an independent legal team and his deteriorating health sparked international backlash.

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He went missing in 2020 during a visit to Dubai and appeared days later in Rwanda in handcuffs. His family says he was kidnapped and taken to Rwanda against his will to stand trial. Rusesabagina has also said he was gagged and tortured before he was jailed, but Rwandan authorities have denied this allegation.

Rusesabagina has said he was arrested due to his criticism of Rwanda's President Paul Kagame over alleged human rights abuses. Rwanda's government has denied accusations it targets dissenting voices with arrests and extrajudicial killings.

In an Oct. 14 letter posted on the justice ministry's website, Rusesabagina wrote "if I am granted a pardon and released, I understand fully that I will spend the remainder of my days in the United States in quiet reflection. I can assure you through this letter that I hold no personal or political ambitions otherwise. I will leave questions regarding Rwandan politics behind me."

Rusesabagina was given the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom after he sheltered more than 1,000 ethnic Tutsis at the hotel he managed during Rwanda’s 1994 genocide when more than 800,000 Tutsi and Hutus who attempted to protect them were killed.

He became a public critic of Kagame and left Rwanda in 1996, initially living in Belgium before moving to the U.S.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.