Rotten fruit from a pretty tree.
November 10, 2005After Henry and Scott leave for Henry’s school (Henry deigning to leave me with a distracted “I, uh, love you too” and a limp wave as he is wheeled down the stairs) I head out with Charlie. It’s overcast and damp from last night’s rain. The wind is thrashing the trees around, the leaves are swirling all over the sidewalk, and Charlie is leaping and snapping at them. It’s perfect.
We go for a longer walk than we usually do, and at each block Charlie looks up at me as if to say, “We…we’re not heading back? We’re still going? Are you shitting me?” and then he resumes his cavorting and peeing.
The ginkgo trees have begun dropping their uniquely nasty fruits all over the sidewalks. I don’t know if these trees are everywhere, but if you’re not familiar with them—take it from me. The fruit smells like puke. Charlie won’t even pee on it, that’s how bad it is.
Across the street, there’s a man in a business suit wearing latex gloves and holding a large bag. He’s carefully picking the fruits off of a car and dropping them into a bag. This strikes me as reasonable—would you want your car smelling like vomit?—but then I see him continuing his work on another car. As we walk, I can’t help but look back, and he’s moved onto a third.
Either he’s the most thoughtful neighbor ever, or that is going to be one indescribably foul pie.
UPDATE!: Apparently the ginkgo fruit is used in various Asian delicacies. Carry on, sir!
Reader Comments (49)
I do believe the above poster is referring to Durian, a fruit so smelly that it is forbidden to consume in public in some places.
I must say that these ginkgo fruit-loving people have to work hard, as the seed is almost as big as the fruit - i.e. very little flesh. They make a crunchy sound when you step on them, though I have to then wash my shoes to keep the nastyness from coming inside.
The fruit do their job increadably well, too. Every spring I have a ton of little gingkos growing under the big one.
Female plants do not produce cones. Two ovules are formed at the end of a stalk, and after pollination, one or both develop into seeds. The seed is 1.5-2 cm long. Its outer layer (the sarcotesta) is light yellow-brown, soft, and fruit-like. It is plum-like and attractive, but contains butanoic acid and thus smells like rancid butter (which contains the same chemical).The seed is edible after removing the ovary pulp, shelling, and after being cooked. An overdose of the fruit could cause poisoning because the fruit produces hydrogen cyanide as a side product. It is reported that a dozen raw ginkgo fruits are toxic enough to kill a small child, though this has yet to be proven.In some areas, most intentionally planted trees are male stock grafted onto roots propagated from seed, because the male trees will not produce the malodorous fruits (although the seeds within are quite tasty, and a delicacy in Asia).
Thanks for the memoreeee...
Here's a couple bizarre tidbits about Ginko trees: the ones planted in the US were originally all male--but after growing for about fifty years, some of the trees actually CHANGED THEIR SEX SO THEY COULD BEAR FRUIT. Wild, huh?
Plus you know, of course, that they are from a species that originally went extinct, but seeds were found somewhere and the tree revived. I bet you're happy about that.
As a child, I thought that boxwood smelled bad, but now I like it. I guess it's like beer - the taste grows on you.
Amazing how that stench on every sidewalk can ruin a perfectly happy autumn walk. Can't say I miss that.
Let me repeat that. They purposely imported trees with fruit that smell like dogshit vomit.
All the stereotypes about Iowans are true. I am one, and the gingko trees, they make me ashamed of my ancestors.
Cecily - that's what the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park did and look how well that turned out. Beware, world! The ginkos will soon have you upside down in your suv while trying to eat your head!
There may be something wrong with me.