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I live in Los Angeles. Notwithstanding rumors of LA’s ugliness, I find it to be a sometimes-quite-charming city, which often has as much to do with the number of trees around as anything else. Trouble is, every Spring somewhere between 10-20% of those trees bloom, and smell positively awful. And not just any kind of awful — they smell, no joke, like sperm, and are colloquially known as the Sperm Trees of Los Angeles.
I decided to get to the bottom of this. What are these nasty tree-beasts? According to Wikipedia, they are the hilariously-named Tree of Heaven, (or Ailanthus altissima), an invasive species from China, brought to California by Chinese miners and railroad workers around the turn of the last century. They has since earned the monikers “stinktree” (for obvious reasons) and “ghetto palm” (for their tenacious ability to grow in the harshest of urban conditions, like gravelly parking lots and under freeway overpasses). It’s also “one of the most tolerant species to air pollution,” which may further explain its prevalence in Southern California.
It’s like War of the Worlds, plant-style: the Tree of Heaven grows aggressively, out-competing and quashing native species, and tends to grow up against the sides of buildings, where its invasive root structure can burrow underneath, destroying sewer pipes and housing foundations. Cutting the saplings yields an unpleasant, sticky substance and releases a cloud of malodorous stank. So there you have it — the green trees of LA, once thought to be this city’s environmental saving grace, are actually trying to kill us.
“they smell, no joke, like sperm”
No wonder the Swallows love CA!
posted by Sheldon Siegel on 11-6-2006 at 12:18 pm
I’m not trying to be provocative or anything, but who says sperm smells bad? I think it’s freaking awesome.
posted by Amanda on 11-7-2006 at 11:26 am
We have the very same trees in Williamsport PA, and sure enough, they smell like used condoms every mid-April. Ususally this entices the repetitive reaction, “eww, argg, cum, blossom, blah!” from my friends and I.
posted by Jessica on 12-1-2006 at 12:06 pm
Another “great” smelling tree can be found in the Souther US. The bradford pear smells like the ole’ tuna taco when it is in bloom.
posted by Chad on 12-12-2007 at 3:42 am
Gee, smell like sperm, called “Tree of Heaven…” Anyone want to bet against the namer being a man? LOL
Sheldon (comment #1), LMAO!!
posted by Lisa on 12-12-2007 at 7:44 am
I assume you mean “smells like semen”. Sperm are microscopic, and probably don’t have any odor.
posted by Craig on 12-12-2007 at 8:36 am
I once dug up a beautiful white-flowering yarrow plant in the wild and planted it in my perennial garden. Every time I was in the garden, I noticed this horrible urine smell. It smelled like a nursing home. After alternately blaming the neigbor’s cat, my dog, and starting to question my husband, I realized it was the yarrow! I dug it up, but not before it propagated itself and tried to invade my garden with eau de nursing home. It took me all summer to get rid of it.
posted by Bre on 12-12-2007 at 9:14 am
Amanda:
In the right setting, er… you may be right. But trust me- walking down the street minding your own business, it is absolutely revolting. We have these trees in my neighborhood and I avoid those streets when the trees are in bloom.
posted by Lindsay on 12-12-2007 at 9:18 am
I have always called those trees “Sex Trees” because that was what they smelled like to me. I thought it was just my perception of the smell. I’m glad I’m not alone!
posted by Jaime on 12-12-2007 at 10:56 am
I’ll have to ask my girlfriend what that smells like.
posted by ramon on 12-12-2007 at 6:10 pm
I’ve smelled/seen these trees all over the South. We called them cumquats even though we knew that name was already taken.
posted by Ken on 12-12-2007 at 6:54 pm
I did some more online research, and after reading more and seeing many more pictures, I’ve realized we’ve got these in my neighborhood (southeastern Pennsylvania), and there are seedlings growing all over my yard. There’s a big one right across the street, probably spreading seeds all up and down the street. These things grow up out of cracks in the sidewalk, are impossible to pull out of the ground, and grow incredibly quickly. And now I know what that awful smell is every spring, although the smell reminds me of bleach or chlorine.
posted by Craig on 12-13-2007 at 1:26 pm
these trees are all over toronto.
they are horrible, an invasive species, and in some parts of canada they have been “outlawed” (sadly not in ontario yet!).
they have been well known to compromise the foundation of structures near which they grow.
they take over all other flora in their neighborhood, and are actually weeds, and the worst thing about it is that people who don’t know better are happy with them - actually they would be happy with anything growing, as long as they don’t have to do any maintenance….
posted by ms on 5-4-2008 at 9:37 pm