Hi, I was over in the Brasstown Valley area of Northern Georgia the other day, and I saw some small trees with these seed pods. It was at the edge of a state park and their were too many leaves laying around to guess what came from those trees, but I did grab one pod. The pod had 35 seeds in it, and I'd like to plant them, but I don't know what the heck I have... I sure don't want to plant some invasive tree, but I haven't been able to find any pictures of tree seed pods that look like this one. Anyone seen these before?
In the fall, I've eaten them too. Kind of tastes like a sweet pear. The rest of the year, they are extremely bitter! Usually have to fight the squirrels and deer for them in the fall. Never tried to grow the seeds though.
Sorry to have dropped that request and then ran away for a week... I don't think it is a pawpaw, as I have 4 in my back yard, and the seeds are much smaller than what I get from our fruit. They are relatively easy to grow from seed. I plant them in pecan tree pots and sink the pots into the ground to help the soil stay moist until they come up. The seeds won't come up at all if they haven't been kept moist the entire time from harvest to planting. Most people planting seed give up too early, as they sprout and immediately put out a foot long tap root, then pop up above ground in late june or early july. I've never seen them hang on the tree for more than a couple of weeks after they ripen, but I'm out there grabbing every one in September. The family loves them, except for the Mrs. who tried an over ripe one, which tastes like a peach/mango that has gone off, with undertones of eating a lead spoon due to the high mineral content of the fruit! Anyway, I'll try raising some of these seeds in some sunken buckets to see if they grow... Hope I'm not introducing invasive plants to our area!
BTW, Pawpaw wood is some of the lightest, crappiest firewood I've ever burned! I checked out a couple of "Live off the land" forums about these, and the advice I got was to try eating a small amount and see if I got sick or not... NOPE!
It's a good thing you weren't the first person to discover a cow and not try to chop it in half throw it in a fire and come out as a delicious steak. I am sure people thought that guy was weird! How about an oyster, that dude must have been hungry!!
It was more the fact that someone suggested for another to "just eat it and see". It's one thing to do it yourself and then recommend.... Oyster dude it's definitely weird.... Lol. Not something that I eat but to each their own.
Well, for what it's worth, about a dozen of the seeds have been planted in a five gallon bucket and stashed in the shade, so I guess we will see... Sometime... If they grow... I'll let you all know in a year or two... LOL!
