Pretty Flowers Bloom But Give Off Terrible Smell

**royce** · March-25-12, 11:27 PM

Drove around Metroit Detroit today and noticed many trees which bloomed with white flowers very reminiscent of Cherry Blossom Trees but different. My father-in-law has two such trees in front of his house. When I stopped by today I parked right under these two trees. When I got out of my car I got a whiff of a smell that was so bad that I almost gagged. My little nephew was on the porch. When I asked him what was the smell, he replied that it was coming from the flowers on the trees.

After leaving, I noticed these trees all over the neighborhood and while driving in Southfield along Civic Center Drive I noticed these trees lining the entire stretch of the street from Evergreen to Telegraph. While waiting at traffic lights and with my sunroof open, I could smell that awful smell coming through the windows. What kind of tree is this? I didn't notice these white flowers on the trees last year. Anybody else notice the pretty flowers with the awful smell?

**laphoque** · March-25-12, 11:37 PM

I've been smelling that too. I couldn't help but think of this humorous clip with NSFW dialog. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m-8l3V38Ps I don't think they're Linden Trees though?

**EastsideAl** · March-26-12, 01:28 AM

Triffids...

**Roq** · March-26-12, 04:40 AM

We noticed these yesterday too -- it's a Bradford Pear. Pretty but smells awful.

http://naturegeezer.blogspot.com/200...inky-tree.html

**gazhekwe** · March-26-12, 09:01 AM

We have them along Mt. Vernon in Southfield, and I walk there all the time. Haven't noticed the smell, but the blossoms are beautiful. Maybe it has to be really warm for the smell to travel. I remember the discussion about what to plant there several years ago, and we went with those trees because of the restricted planting space. Even so, we lost quite a few of them due to lack of water.

**MikeM** · March-26-12, 09:33 AM

There's a line of them along Mack Avenue in front of the 7-Mack shopping center. DWSD had to make a water main repair about two months ago; they dug up one of the trees and laid it on its side, where it remains today, in full bloom, stink and all.

**aoife** · March-26-12, 10:24 AM

We had the City plant one of these in our backyard in a space that used to be an alley. I let the dog outside a few days ago and nearly threw up- they are so disgusting.

Apparently they are on the list of trees that you end up with in the Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods if you are slated to have something replaced. You see young, fragrant ones everywhere.

**Dotz313** · March-26-12, 11:14 AM

Oh this explains alot, im at work trying to find a dead rodent and its been the beautiful tree the whole time.

**Gistok** · March-26-12, 12:05 PM

I'd take a pair Bradford Pear over what I have in my front and back yard any day... a Silver Maple [[sewer line problems, surface tree roots that have ruined at least 2 lawn mower blades)... and Sunburst Locust [[very small leaves clog your gutters in the fall, fuzzy seeds fall everywhere in the spring, horrible to rake up in autumn)...

**cramerro** · March-26-12, 01:40 PM

Yes, they're Bradford Pear. Beautiful blossoms and rather attractive foliage during the rest of the year... but yikes that smell is something else. It is the warm air/sun combination that makes the smell enhanced and traveling... similar to a number of other fragrant-blossom trees [[most smell better!). I have one in my front yard that looks great right now, planted it about 5 years ago... pretty low maintenance if you water it the first year and it has some sun.

**courtney** · March-26-12, 04:13 PM

Ugh, I hatehatehate Bradford Pears and while thankfully they don't seem to have the insane invasive-ness that they do in the south [[yet), they are weak wooded and short lived. I hate them almost as the tree of heaven.

Also, if you ever do have a "volunteer" pear pop up even if its right next to your free-of-thorns Bradford Pear, get rid of it before it's big because the thorns hurt badly and will go right through any gardening gloves.

**bibs** · March-26-12, 11:19 PM

Your smelling the flowers of the female Gingko tree. Smells like vomit.

**5speedz34** · March-26-12, 11:29 PM

I was taking a class at WSU's Farmington Hills campus a few years back and a fellow student likened the smell to woman on her period. Needless to say they look beautiful but the smell totally grosses me out now.

**jcole** · March-27-12, 08:12 AM

Originally Posted by bibs

Your smelling the flowers of the female Gingko tree. Smells like vomit.

Gingko trees don't have the pretty white flowers that the OP described, and the Gingko drops a seed pod that creates the smell and slimy mess.

**antongast** · March-27-12, 09:47 AM

There's a row of newish infill apartments across the street from me, and they planted one of these goddamn things in front of each unit. I kind of want to find the developer and punch them in the face.

**Wheels** · March-27-12, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by 5speedz34

I was taking a class at WSU's Farmington Hills campus a few years back and a fellow student likened the smell to woman on her period. Needless to say they look beautiful but the smell totally grosses me out now.

You are hanging around the wrong women!

**kryptonite** · March-27-12, 02:13 PM

They are probably Bradford Pears. http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/l...821426710.html

I have three Cleveland Pears at my house. I have not noticed a scent, although they are blooming now. Cleveland Pears are an improvement over the Bradford Pears which is/was a disaster of a tree. Fewer nurseries are even selling Bradford Pears, which are often defined as 'invasive'.