What smells
- To: Mediterranean Climate Gardening e-mail forum <m*@ucdavis.edu>
- Subject: What smells
- From: M* M* <m*@worldnet.att.net>
- Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 21:04:07 -0800
Bob B. asked:
>Anyone else come across malodorous members of usually
sweet-scented
>plant families?
Tigridia vanhouttei is a summer-growing bulb with small
flowers that smell like an old tennis shoe that has been
broiled in an oven for 20 minutes. Not sure if there's any
scent to the commonly grown Tigridia pavonia, but if any
it's not a bad smell.
Chas D. wrote:
> I understnd the the female Gingko tree rewards us with an
>evil-smelling fruit if there is a male nearby.
Ohhhh yeah. Those are wonderful trees in our climate,
trouble-free, great shade in the summer, reliably producing
bright yelow foliage every autumn. But make sure you get a
boy tree. I had a girl one as a street tree in front of my
last house, and every summer it dumped stinking fruit on the
sidewalk. They look like small apricots, but their smell is
for the dogs, if you know what I mean. You don't want to
step on one.
My next-door neighbor tried to get me to cut down the tree,
but a better cure is to get a first-generation Chinese
family to move into the neighborhood. Ginko nuts are a
delicacy in China, and the family on our street happily
collected every fruit and took them home.
Mike
San Jose, CA (zone 9, min temp 20F)
