Sacramento’s State Capitol Park has been ringed off after visitors and staff complained about a sour, vomit‑like smell coming from a pair of mature trees. Metal fences and warning signs now surround the trunks while crews rake the sticky fruit and keep people at a distance.
As reported by SFGATE, the Department of General Services fenced two 75‑year‑old ginkgo trees — one near 14th and Capitol and another in a construction zone at 12th and N — after facilities management received complaints. The agency’s spokesperson Jennifer Iida called the odor “pungent and unpleasant” and said groundskeepers will keep the barriers up while crews remove the fallen fruit.
Why The Trees Smell
The culprit is the fruit of female ginkgo trees: the fleshy outer coating, or sarcotesta, breaks down and releases butyric (butanoic) acid — the same compound that gives rancid butter and some cheeses their sour odor. As outlined by Kew Gardens and by Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum, that ancient, pungent scent likely evolved to attract mammals that would carry off and disperse the seeds.
Cleanup, Foraging and Health Risks
While some people harvest the nuts inside the smelly fruit, the leftover pulp is a nuisance and can make sidewalks slippery — and Sacramento crews are scooping and bagging the mess, SFGATE reports. Medical literature warns the pulp carries allergenic compounds that can cause a poison‑ivy‑type dermatitis; a dermatology review in Actas Dermo‑Sifiliográficas details the ginkgolic and anacardic acids involved. A separate scientific review in PubMed Central also notes the seeds contain ginkgotoxin (4‑O‑methylpyridoxine), which can cause seizures if consumed in large quantities.
How Cities Handle Ginkgo Nuisance
Communities have long wrestled with the tradeoff between the tree’s hardiness and its seasonally offensive fruits; as reported by the Associated Press via CBS News, some cities have banned female ginkgos or removed problem trees. Urban forestry programs often rely on selective planting of male cultivars, seasonal fruit‑cleanups and sometimes targeted treatments to reduce seed production, Kew Gardens notes.
For now, Sacramento officials are treating the stench as a seasonal cleanup issue rather than a tree‑removal decision, and they say the fenced areas will stay in place until grounds crews finish their work. If you’re headed to Capitol Park this fall, expect the golden ginkgo leaves — and a brief pause near any fenced trunks until the last fruit is cleared.
