Smells like tree spirit

[greatbear]

Well, it's that time of year again. The chestnut tree next to the garage (see previous post for pic) is in full 'bloom'. Anyone who has been around such a tree at this time of year will recognize it's unforgettable odor. It smells precisely like spooge.

The tree blooms with these pipe cleaner-like things which emit a smell worthy of a million man bukkake (I am not joking) attracting all manner of insects and flies in order to pollenate. After this is done, the tree sheds the 'blooms' and then starts work on growing the chestnuts themselves, housed in green urchin-like burrs bristling with extremely sharp needle-like thorns. These drop in the fall and split open, revealing the rich brown chestnuts inside, creating field days for the squirrels and a nightmare for me in cleanup. Like an oak, it tends to hold it's brown leaves over winter, slowly dropping them in the winter months needing constant raking and cleanup. It's definitely a tree with some fucking attitude. That's partially why I kept it (actually designing the garage and it's position on the lot to accomodate it) along with it's relative rarity. Friends of mine "in the know', so to speak, giggle and make lewd commentary about the smell, wondering what Jeff and I (or whomever else for that matter) have been doing in the garage. Or the house for that matter.

Comments

[cutepacub.livejournal.com]

Gram has two of these along the driveway on Punkin Ridge. I also got a whiff of it this afternoon when I was running errands.

[dakoopst.livejournal.com]

million man bukkake

That's one of the best metaphors I've read in a while...LOL

[beastbriskett.livejournal.com]

Yummm--tree genitalia....

[devcubber.livejournal.com]

I am constantly amazed by biology, and all its similarities across its species borders. When I was in grad school, whenever we would be doing research in the lab and the lawn mowers were there, my professor would always say, "you know why people love the smell of freshly mowed lawns so much?" and we would dutifully answer, "no, tell us" and he would smirkily announce "because freshly mowed lawns smell exactly like semen!" So many plants "use" that smell at their pollenation/fruiting time; take a big sniff for me!

[ex-bearbong816.livejournal.com]

I grew up with a chestnut tree in our backyard.

I never thought it smelled at all, but in reflection, there was kind of a "gamey" sort of smell in our backyard all the time, and I guess that's what it was.

I don't like chestnuts either, and my mother was always harvesting them.

yuch.

[huskysex.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I've been wondering for years what tree made this smell at the beginning of each summer! I always thought of it as a cross between semen and Javex.