Can anyone help me identify this stinky tree???

[Ladygaggia]

It's growing in my garden (I rent) and it has rounded purple leaves on one side with light green colour on other side. It has spines and clusters of yellow flowers. The flowers produce a strong scent of...well, in my opinion - semen!

I have googled and it isn't a linden tree - which is what comes up if you google the distinctive smell!!!

Have you got a picture of the tree? It is easier to tell from the height and shape rather than a little leaf and flower.

DHs semen doesn't smell of much so that description isn't really helping

Berberis?

I could get a picture of the tree tonight. It is mixed in amongst other bushes - it has lots of thin branches.

My OH can't smell the scent at all - I think it is due to over-exposure

Ooh - yes - I think Hysteria has it!

Berberis thunbergii Atropurpurea Hedging

Doesn't mention the odd floral pong

Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea. Or Purple Japanese barberry.

If it's this it should get red berries after the flowers.

Ah, cross post

Oh. I would never think of berberis as a tree, I thought it is a shrub.

I think of it as a shrub too actually, though it can grow up to 5 metres high! A big shrub

It's a huge tree/bush thing - I'll post a pic tonight. I've promised my colleagues that I'll bring some in and put it in a vase on the boss's desk...I found this on you tube too - not watched it incase it's nsfw

Full size of tree/bush...I'd say it was 5m easily

Wow that's huge.
Berberis can handle very hard pruning btw, just in case you wanted to reduce it.

I have a berberis in my garden, much smaller, and I never noticed a smell. Mine isn't flowering yet, I'll have a sniff once the flowers are out.
The fruits are used as a spice in Persian cooking, if you can harvest them before the birds.