The ornamental pear tree is perhaps America’s most controversial tree.
The beautiful white spring blossoms, attractive shape and low price have made the plant popular since its arrival in the US in the early 1900s.
But be warned: anyone who lives near such a garden will tell you about the very unpleasant, stinking odor that this garden gives off in the summer.
A DailyMail.com reader said he was visiting his wife’s parents in London when he first smelled the stench.
The couple were walking their dog and were occasionally overcome by what they described as a “foul odor… almost like semen.”
Upon their return to the United States, they discovered that the source of the odor was the ornamental pear tree, also known as the callery pear tree. When they googled it, they were shocked to find that the problem was felt throughout the United States.
Although the flowers of the Callery pear tree are often considered beautiful, they also contain compounds called volatile amines, trimethylamine and dimethylamine, which give off a “stinky, dead-animal odor” that can smell like semen.
There have been dozens of Reddit discussions, horticultural magazines, and local and national stories written about the callery pear tree’s foul odor.
Although the tree’s flowers are often considered beautiful, they also contain compounds called volatile amines, trimethylamine and dimethylamine, which give off a “stinky, dead-animal odor,” according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.
These compounds are similar to those found in ammonia, which is also found in semen.
Others describe the smell as like fish, cleaning spray, or rotting meat.
When the weather is warm and the tree is in bloom, these scents can be smelled in the air.
These trees are an invasive species native to Asia, growing in China and Taiwan. The flowers are meant to attract insects such as blowflies, which pollinate the trees.
The tree was brought to the US from China in the early 1900s, but became increasingly popular in suburban areas in the 1950s.
Because these trees can grow in any type of soil and are attractive to flies and birds, their seeds spread throughout the country.
People are complaining on Reddit about the smell of the trees. One person wrote: ‘I hate these trees, they were all over my college campus.’
‘The least you can do is pull out a pear every now and then, but no, then the sperm stinks for three months of the year.’
Some states have decided to ban people from buying, planting, or selling the Callery pear tree because of its rancid odor
Some states, such as Ohio, have banned the fragrant plant after locals complained about its awful smell, making it illegal to buy, sell or plant any more callery trees since January of last year.
South Carolina and Pennsylvania have also banned the tree, while Michigan is considering following suit.
The trees are not good for the ecosystem because they do not produce edible fruit and do not provide a suitable food source for insects and animals.
“Everyone has a different description, some more PG than others,” said Katie Grzesiak, land-based invasive species coordinator for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. News 8.
“I think it smells like dog shit. Others might say fish. Others might say rotten meat. It’s not pleasant.”