In Charleston, West Virginia, at least:
Several of Charleston’s beloved ginkgo trees—the smelly ones, at least—got the ax this week.
Tree trimmers for the city were scouring downtown streets Thursday looking for female ginkgos that have started bearing seeds. The trees flower, shed and the fruit-like seeds drop down. They ripen quickly and eventually start to reek.
By early Thursday afternoon, workers for Charleston’s Public Grounds division had chopped down five female ginkgos on Virginia Street, Summers Street and Kanawha Boulevard. They were looking for more to cut down.
The female trees most likely will be replaced later this year with male ginkgos that don’t produce seeds.
Read the rest at the Charleston Daily Mail.