Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
7/19/99
Contacts:
Richard Jauron, Horticulture Extension, (515) 294-1871
Elaine Edwards, Extension Communication Systems, (515)
294-5168
Yard and Garden Column for the Week Beginning July 23
Unusual Fruit in the Garden
By Richard Jauron
Extension horticulturist
Iowa State University Extension
Nearly all flowering plants produce fruit. Familiar fruit include pumpkins, apples, pine cones, acorns and many others. However, a few fruit are rather unusual and often go unnoticed by many individuals. Have you been puzzled by the following fruit?
Tomatoes on Potato Plants?
Occasionally gardeners are surprised to find small, round, green, tomato-like fruit on their potato plants. These fruit are not the result of cross-pollination with tomatoes. They are the true fruit of the potato plant. The edible tubers are actually enlarged, underground stems. Normally, most potato flowers dry up and fall off the plants without setting fruit. A few flowers do produce fruit. The variety 'Yukon Gold' produces fruit more heavily than most varieties.
The potato fruit are of no value to the gardener. Potato fruit, as well as the plant itself, contain relatively large amounts of solanine. Solanine is a poisonous alkaloid. The small fruit should not be eaten. Since potatoes don't come true from seed, no effort should be made to save the seed.
Little Green Apples on a Shrub?
The flowering quince (Chaenomeles species) is a flowering shrub grown for its attractive, early spring flowers. Flowers are commonly orange, pink or red. It also produces small, apple- shaped fruit. The yellow-green fruit are approximately 2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter.
The fruit of the flowering quince ripen in October and are edible. They are quite bitter when eaten raw, but when cooked can be used for preserves and jellies. The fruit of the flowering quince are not true quince. True quince are fruit of Cydonia oblonga.
Cucumbers on a Tree?
Star and saucer magnolias are widely planted for their attractive, spring flowers. Another magnolia species occasionally seen in Iowa is the cucumbertree magnolia (Magnolia acuminata).
The cucumbertree magnolia is a large tree that produces inconspicuous, greenish yellow flowers in spring. After blooming, 2- to 3-inch-long fruit develop. These fruit resemble small cucumbers, hence the common name cucumbertree. The fruit ripen in the fall and contain pinkish red, 1/4 to 3/4 inch diameter seed. The largest cucumbertree magnolia in the United States is located in Waukon, Iowa. It is approximately 75 feet tall with a spread of 83 feet.
Grapefruit in Iowa?
Many Iowans have undoubtedly seen the yellow-green, grapefruit-sized fruit at farmer's markets, grocery stores and other locations in the fall. These yellow-green fruit are commonly called hedge apples. They are produced by the Osage-orange (Maclura pomifera).
The Osage-orange is a small- to medium-sized tree. It commonly grows 30 to 40 feet tall, occasionally as tall as 50 to 60 feet. Trees are sometimes seen in southern portions of the state.
The Osage-orange is dioecious -- male and female flowers are produced on separate trees. Small, green flowers appear in May or June. Female trees produce 3- to 5-inch-diameter fruit, which ripen in September or October and fall to the ground.
Hedge apples are of little value. However, they are often used as a home remedy for insect control. Placement of hedge apples around the home is claimed to provide relief from cockroaches, spiders, boxelder bugs, crickets and other pests. No scientific evidence exists to support these claims.
Many of our plants in the home landscape were selected for their fruit. Some are grown for their edible fruit. Other plants are prized for their ornamental fruit. Sure, a few fruit can be annoying. Stepping on the fruit of a sweet gum tree while barefooted is a rather painful experience. The offensive smell of ginkgo fruit in the fall is not very pleasant either. Despite the occasional annoyance, fruit are wonders of nature and essential for life on earth.
ml: isugarden
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