This being Autumn it’s time for the annual shedding of seeds
by the female Ginkgo trees in our neighborhood.
Anyone who knows these trees is
aware of the characteristically offensive odor emitted by the seeds when they
are stepped upon. This smell, which derives
from the butyric acid within, is powerful and, for lack of a polite comparison,
I’ll say simply that it is reminiscent of vomit. Why am I bringing this up in this blog? Not because these trees are unique to
Switzerland. In fact, Ginkgo biloba is
not even native here. I raise this topic
as an illustration of Swiss fastidiousness.
Last week, as happens every year at this time, the city sent out the
forces who, working from lifts, meticulously
shook the seeds from the trees so that
they could be vacuumed up prior to being stepped on. We can’t have our neighborhoods smelling like
puke after all.
