Stink Bomb Tree

An American friend who once lived in Japan wrote in a greeting card, "May all the gingko trees in your neighborhood be male."

Well, what does that mean? See the yellow thing in the picture? The female tree produces this fruit that is really stinky. So stinky some call the tree "stink bomb tree". The tree is also called the "maidenhair tree" because of the shape of the leaf. Gingko trees are also called "living fossils" because scholars have found prehistoric evidence of them.

Gingko trees are gorgeous in the fall. Their fruit season is in the fall. Fortunately, most gingko trees along city streets are male.

This is the sidewalk in front of the American School. Unfortunately, the gingko trees here are female. Some fruit had plopped down on the sidewalk. Some people say gingko fruit smells like vomit. I think so. I was careful not to step on these. It looks like someone learned the hard way. These were smushed. Probably under somebody's foot. Imagine sitting in class with stink bomb fruit on your shoes!

More chrysanthemums. Many people put big chrysanthemums by their entrances. It's a nice sign of fall.