‘Vomit’-like stench wafting from trees in California State Capitol Park
Two 75-year-old gingko trees in Sacramento has been fenced off after its foul “vomit”-smelling fruit has become both a slip and sniff hazard. RG – stock.adobe.com
SACRAMENTO — Two 75-year-old female ginkgo trees in California’s State Capitol Park have been fenced off after their seasonal fruit began creating both a smell and safety hazard.
Planted in 1954 by then-Gov. Goodwin Knight and other officials, the twin ginkgos now release berries with a pungent odor often compared to vomit. The Sacramento Bee reports the fruit’s sticky flesh can cling to shoes, spreading the smell and leaving sidewalks and lawns slippery. Jennifer Iida, spokesperson for the Department of General Services, called it a “pungent and unpleasant” problem and said complaints about the stench had flooded in.
The odor comes from butyric acid in the soft yellow layer surrounding the seeds. Ned Friedman, director of Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum, has described the smell as reminiscent of “rancid butter and vomit.” Temporary fencing around the trees now features a laminated sign reading “NO PICKING GINGKO FRUIT” to discourage people from handling the berries.
While the seeds inside the berries are mildly toxic and should only be handled with gloves, they are sometimes used in traditional Asian cooking and medicine when properly prepared. The Mayo Clinic warns that raw seeds should never be eaten, though cooking can reduce, but not fully eliminate, their toxins.
Officials say the trees themselves are healthy, and the primary concern is the mess left behind by people cracking open the fruit.
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