Continuing with grotesque and ghoulish themes for October 🙈 🙉 🙊 …
Meet the Bradford Pear (Pyrus calleryana ‘Bradford’):  nature’s way of making sure your morning walk to work is slightly uncomfortable.
This ornamental tree is a favorite in urban landscapes for its dazzling white spring blossoms. But while it looks angelic, it’s smell, not so much.
Its flowers release volatile amines, the same compounds responsible for a scent often compared to semen, which likely evolved to attract certain pollinators.
Native to East Asia, the Bradford Pear was brought to North America for its rapid growth and aesthetic charm …only to turn invasive, spreading aggressively and outcompeting native species.
So the next time you catch a whiff of something indecent drifting through the spring air…
It’s probably just the trees reminding you what botanical pheromones smell like, and giving you proof that even trees can make you question your life choices.
Plant Fact: Smells Like Semen!
