The days are heating up, the sun is out longer and the smells of spring are in the air. Or is that just the smell of a Bradford pear tree?
Why it matters: The tree is a troublesome invasive species, but it’s also one of the most noticeable plants in Central Ohio — among the first trees to bloom each spring and arguably the smelliest.
You’ve probably walked or driven past a blooming Bradford pear tree this week.
- Their skinny trunks and fluffy white blooms have a distinctly idyllic look, and there are thousands around Columbus.
👃 The intrigue: The tree’s most notorious characteristic is its smell when blooming.
- It’s been likened to rotting fish, dirty socks and, perhaps most commonly, certain unmentionable bodily fluids.
Flashback: The Bradford pear is a variety of Callery pear, which arrived on the continent from China in the mid-20th century.
- People were annoyed by “the slippery mess caused by pear fruits littering sidewalks,” so the Bradford variant — marketed as sterile — and its inedible, slightly toxic fruit grew in popularity.
Yes, but: Unfortunately, it can cross-pollinate with other species, and its seeds are easily spread by wind and birds…