Results tagged “ginkgofruit”

DCist readers had plenty of opinions about the unusually bad ginkgo season that Washington experienced last year. As the fragrant fruits fell on sidewalks and streets last autumn, ending up crushed by passersby, that familiar vomit/jizz/poop stench combo emanated from all corners of the city. But the Georgetown Metropolitan observes that at least so far, it looks like the city's efforts to curb the female trees from producing fruit may have paid off this time around.

This time last year we we’re under a deluge of foul smelling berries. The city had switched to a new concoction to stem the growth of the ginkgo berries. It was a total disaster. We had berries straight through the spring.

Continue reading "Is the Ginkgo Situation Better This Year?"

We have to concur with We Love D.C.'s brownpau that the answer to Wonkette's inquiry from earlier this week about why downtown Washington "smells like dog-shit" right now is undoubtedly ginkgo fruit. The nasty little berries settle on city streets and sidewalks every autumn, though we admit that this year has seemed especially bad, with the mashed up fruit and accompanying stink lingering far longer than recent years. Brownpau plays scientician:

The seed is encased in a fleshy berry-like layer called a sarcotesta, which contains butanoic acid — a chemical found in vomit, feces, and rancid butter. (And delicious parmesan cheese!)

All righty then. The only thing we'll quibble with is the specific analogy that the berries, when crushed underfoot, smell like dog feces. We've always found they had more of a vomit mixed with jizz aroma. Don't you agree?