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Too much of a good scent, Hanoi curbs iconic trees

Published on 21 Oct 2026 9:19:51 PM

City workers have started pruning trees at various locations around Vietnam's capital Hanoi since Oct 17 and hundreds of the city's iconic blackboard trees will be trimmed and some of them even relocated after their distinctive fragrance proved too much for some residents.

Known in Vietnamese as hoa sua, meaning "milk flower", blackboard trees can grow as tall as 60m but the overwhelming scent of the blooms are bothering the residents.

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