What’s That Smell? Beautiful But Stinky Trees Bloom Across Lubboc

It’s that time of year where the weather is changing, everyone is defrosting, and Lubbock is starting to bloom for spring.

While we all love seeing the bare trees sprout new leaves and watching the grass getting greener day by day, there is one plant that is particularly attention grabbing.

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Bradford Pear

The Bradford pear tree, also called a Callery pear, is known for their beautiful white blooms that crate a fluffy, almost cloudlike appearance. While they are very pretty at first glance, the more you know about them, the less appealing they become.

What’s that smell?

One of the most noticeable things that will turn you off from these trees is the odor the flowers emit. They don’t give off a lovely perfume like most flowers, they have a potent stench that reminds many of dead fish.

If that’s not bad enough, they are an invasive tree that doesn’t belong in places like Lubbock.

They were introduced to many places in the U.S. due to their low cost, fast growing, and pretty look, but they really don’t belong here. Because of how aggressively they grow, they can easily crowd out native species, messing with that area’s eco system.

They are native to Vietnam and China, and do not belong in North America.

If you want a tree that gives you a similar look but isn’t as stinky or invasive, you can try a flowering dogwood, magnolias, or the Mexican plum tree. They all have beautiful flowers and are not harmful to native plants.