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last mo.

California Capitol Park Fences Two Ginkgo Trees Over Foul, Slippery Fruit

Officials say fallen fruit creates a butyric-acid stench that also poses a slip risk.

The California State Capitol in Sacramento, Calif.
A low-angle view of a ginkgo tree in autumn, Biel, Switzerland.
Ginkgo tree in California State Capitol Park in Sacramento, Calif., Dec. 6, 2014.
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Overview

  • The Department of General Services cordoned off two 75-year-old female ginkgos in Sacramento’s State Capitol Park after receiving recent complaints about odor and safety.
  • Temporary barriers display laminated “NO PICKING GINGKO FRUIT” signs as groundskeepers continue raking until the fruit drop ends.
  • One tree stands near 14th Street and Capitol, and another sits within a construction zone at 12th and N streets, according to the agency.
  • The smell comes from butyric acid in the fruit’s fleshy coating, which a Harvard arboretum director has compared to rancid butter and vomit.
  • Officials note the trees are healthy and historically planted in 1954, and they reiterate that raw ginkgo seeds should not be eaten due to mild toxins.