This morning I walked out on the front porch. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the sky was a clear cerulean blue. I stretched and took a deep whiff of spring! Gag! I turned to my daughter who was sitting on the porch swing.
“Eww, it smells like rotten mushrooms.”
She looked at me as if I should have known better than to ask such a dumb question.
“It’s the Bradford pears, Mom.”
Bradford Pear trees, an ornamental tree that in spring, have the most beautiful flowering blossoms. The blossoms carry an indescribable odor that evokes thoughts of body odor and other unpleasant comparisons. This odor has prompted the nickname “tuna on a trunk.”
I guess pleasant and unpleasant odors are a relative thing. The bees don’t mind it. Dogs like to roll in stinky things and breathe in the aroma of urine as if it were the best French perfume. Sometimes (and I shouldn’t admit this) if I get a whiff of a skunk as I ride down the road I find it doesn’t smell that bad to me. So I guess I will just not breathe so deeply as I gaze at the beautiful spring blooms, and when a guest should ask me what in the world could that unusual smell be?
I’ll just smile and say,” What smell?”
15 comments:
They do stink and I am SOOOOO allergic to them!
Well, I have learned something again, I have never seen or heard of those trees over here! Valerie
I laughed. We have them lining our street and every year my daughter says the same thing, 'for such a pretty tree they sure do stink.'
Is it that time again already? The minute I saw the photo of the blossoms I knew what it was. I was hoping to find one at the nursery so I could see if it really smelled like,"Tuna on a trunk." :^}
I'm not familiar with those specific trees but find it amazing that something with such beautiful blooms can smell so bad!
thats so funny, I have never heard of this, I don't mind skunk either, well, as long as its not on me or my dog!!
The blossoms are so gorgeous though! AAaahhh CHOOO! heehee! ♥
I'd never heard of them, either. They're pretty to look at. Guess I'm glad I'm just looking--LOL! ;)
Such a gorgeous tree and such a terrible smell ahh but i suppose that's natures way !!
Marie
I, too, had never heard of these pear trees. Such beautiful blossoms should smell heavenly, don't you think? Oh well...
Crystal, I'm not familiar with the tree you're referring to, but the blossoms are gorgeous. Very pretty!
I'm flashing back on a shrub that had an odor like male cat urine! Nature must have a purpose for these odors...though not apparent to our olfactory sensors!
it sure has pretty blossoms! interesting.
LOL! I guess stinky is good ;o) Very beautiful blossoms ;o)
ahh nature can be cruel to us humans LOL
Beautiful pictures!
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