Recycled: Those stinky trees
The stench from a blooming pear tree prompted us to cross the street yesterday, so we figured it'd be a good time to recycle this post about the stinky trees. As Ryan Palumbo wrote a few years back:
I am sure many, if not all of you, have seen these trees as the warm weather gives way to the blooming of flowers and leaves, and have no doubt noticed that they STINK. And not only do they just stink: they seem to give off what some have called a particular, familiar odor ("fish that's been sitting out way too long" is another description).
It seems like these trees are everywhere. Surely there have to be better/different varieties of street trees.
Say Something!
We'd really like you to take part in the conversation here at All Over Albany. But we do have a few rules here. Don't worry, they're easy. The first: be kind. The second: treat everyone else with the same respect you'd like to see in return. Cool? Great, post away. Comments are moderated so it might take a little while for your comment to show up. Thanks for being patient.
Comments
...but they look so great! They bloom early and keep their foliage til late in the fall. The one in frog of our salon makes us very happy as we gaze at it. To paraphrase the great Dionne Warwick: (just hold your nose and) walk on by!
... said Rebecca on May 8, 2014 at 5:13 PM | link
This species of tree is part of Albany's tree-planting program, which makes them accessible at a good level of maturity for a cheap price and delivery/installation is included in the price! Plus, like Rebecca noted above, it looks great!
... said Sean on May 9, 2014 at 9:45 AM | link
Who cares how good they look!? The smell isn't just offensive, it can be oppressive. DO NOT PROMOTE, I AM BEGGING!
... said Ed on May 9, 2014 at 11:00 AM | link
Aside from the disgusting smell, they are an invasive species, they have terrible structural integrity so they split easily (especially under ice/snow loads), they grow suckers like crazy, and they have a very shallow root system. All that and they barely last 30 years before they die. They are terrible, horrible, no good, very bad trees. Dozens of other trees are better suited for urban environments! See: www.urbantree.org (end rant)
... said Beth on May 14, 2014 at 3:03 PM | link