‘Repulsive’ fruit kicks up stink at Botanics

Published on 12/10/2012 12:00

A SMELLY fruit has sparked dozens of complaints at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, it has emerged

Staff and visitors have been hit by the overpowering pong of the durian – widely known as the world’s smelliest fruit.

The spiky green fruits – each the size of a rugby ball – have been on display since the launch of the Botanics’ Malaysia Trail on Tuesday.

The fruit was brought to the RBGE to mark the formal launch of the new trail attraction by Dato’ Sri Dr Ng yen Yen, the Malaysian tourism minister.

Its odour is described as “like rotten eggs mixed with broken sewers and smelly socks all at once”.

RBGE head of interpretation Alan Bennell said: “Its smell is truly repulsive. Staff are all complaining because the fruit is in a Malaysian stall right at the heart of the glasshouse experience. It’s ripening by the day.

“Visitors all think there is something terribly wrong.

“They don’t notice anything else when they enter. They are asking if our drains are blocked and we’ve been asked whether there might be rotting fish somewhere.”

The fruit will remain on display in the tropical aquatic house “for as long as staff can tolerate it”.