EI, the common bradford does not have thorns..... nor does red spire, cleveland select, chanticleer, or aristocrat. But when the callery varietygoes wild, so to speak...goes to seed(fruit), and spreads on its own in an invasive manner(by seed and not propagated by a cutting), it grows tremendous thorns. It does, I can assure you(really I already have). This is not a crabapple of any sort. It is a simple species of pear....and that species is callery.