DC spraying to curb ginkgo tree stink

This week, the District started spraying the hundreds of ginkgo trees that line the streets of the nation’s capital in an effort to curb the unpleasant stench that comes when their seeds drop.

READ MORE: Ginkgo trees could be the reason your neighborhood smells bad

The trees are gorgeous in the fall, but in the spring, their noxious smell makes a different impression.

"The smell is atrocious. I think we have like five on the street that spew out a lot of berries so yea it's pretty horrific," said D.C. resident Robert Simpson.

The trees are known for their beautiful yellow leaves in the fall that cascade like fans down their branches.

But it’s their outer layer of seeds that the female trees drop in the spring that creates a stomach-turning scent.

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"It has butyric acid in it which is an organic compound that is kind of stinky. So it's not surprising that people don't like the smell of the female seeds," said George Washington University Biology Department Chair John Lill.

For years, D.C. has been the only place in the country that has a special license to spray a chemical to cut down on the stench that some describe like vomit.

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The spraying started this week, with overnight campaigns to dull the scent, according the D.C. Department of Transportation.

But Lill says it’s all about the timing, and the spray doesn’t always work.

"I guess by spraying the trees the idea is that they're going to inhibit the development of the female trees that cause all the stench," he said.

So if you’re in one of the neighborhoods with some of the hundreds of female gingkoes in the District, you might want to just hold your nose, or try to ignore it.

"This area's just beautiful so I don't really care if it comes with a price," said another D.C. resident, Katie Kimery.

Lill says you can eat the seeds by taking off the outer layer and roasting them – but don’t eat too many, they’re mildly toxic.