97 - Smelly Tree

Sorry folks, but I started to feel like my other beautiful tree was getting left out. This is my other anniversary tree, the one my parents gave us the same year Mr. Incredible gave me his. (Think maybe they planned it that way?) It is a Bradford Pear tree and they are VERY popular around here for many good reasons.

1. They are beautiful when in bloom
2. They grow pretty fast
3. They are a "fruitless" bloomer, meaning they don't bear fruit, but bloom like they do.

BUT, there are two down sides to this lovely tree...

1. Not very strong in the wind. Ours is big enough now that we don't worry too much, but when it was little it was a constant concern in the spring and fall. They are just not very sturdy.
2. (and this is the big one) They smell like dead rotting flesh when in bloom. Yes, this beautiful tree will make you totally gag when you are down wind during the bloom. The first year we had ours and it bloomed properly I was FREAKED out by it. I thought we had a dead animal somewhere in our yard and made Mr. Incredible look high and low for it. Then our neighbor informed us the smell was coming from our tree! GAG!!! Oh well, I love it anyway, and lets face it, with all the boys in my house, who am I to complain about rotten smells.