Pyracantha stinks!

[goosey]

I have sung the praises of our Pyracantha for year, bees, butterflies and other insects love the flowers and the birds love the berries. It proves a very safe place to hang all the food silo's. A true "must have" shrub for a wildlife friendly garden. At the moment it is in flower, looks great but absolutely stinks - so much it makes me feel sick - disgusting .

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by goosey

I have sung the praises of our Pyracantha for year, bees, butterflies and other insects love the flowers and the birds love the berries. It proves a very safe place to hang all the food silo's. A true "must have" shrub for a wildlife friendly garden. At the moment it is in flower, looks great but absolutely stinks - so much it makes me feel sick - disgusting .

The pleasantness as identified by the human nose of many flower scents is closely linked to the intensity of the smell - a little scent can seem like a great perfume - increase that same scent and it becomes revolting. I grow the white form of centranthus ruber, when the flowers first open the scent is unusal but not unleasant - within a couple of days it becomes really fetid and attracts more flies than it does bees.

CM

[honeybee]

Not sure what variety I have, has white flowers and orange berries, doesn't seem to stink...yet

[goosey]

Originally Posted by honeybee

Not sure what variety I have, has white flowers and orange berries, doesn't seem to stink...yet

Mine has the red berries and white flowers. It only usually stinks for a few days thankfully. At the moment its overpowering the Jasmin which is an awful shame.

[galanthus]

I went home lunchtime and made a point of sniffing my pyrocantha hedge, I've got orange and red varieties, they're not overly gorgeous but not too offensive. The worse smelling hedgeplant has to be Privet, Now that is disgusting.

[honeybee]

Just been outside and it's got quite warm, the pyracantha (it's smell is fairly pleasant at mo)is covered in bumblebees and hover flies and micro moths. Just found a ladybird larvae too so I'm pleased.

[nightshade]

Wimps I have Pyracantha and Golden Privet and I love the pungency
of their scent

[Fourwings]

It is a lttle strong scented for a few days but I don't find it offensive.

I think that the Hawthorn blossom is particuarly strong smelling this year.

Steve.

[Bramble]

My pyracantha is all leaf and no flower at the moment...thanks for pointing out the smell, I'll have that to look forward to! To throw my tuppence worth in, I hate the smell of geraniums

[goosey]

Originally Posted by Bramble

My pyracantha is all leaf and no flower at the moment...thanks for pointing out the smell, I'll have that to look forward to! To throw my tuppence worth in, I hate the smell of geraniums

I think the smell starts about 3 or 4 days into full flower, the smell lasts a few days before it dissapears (or my nose just gets use to it) perhaps its so noticeable to me as our garden is so small. But keep a nose out, I'll be interested to hear what you think.