Hi all you fellow gardeners,
When I was a kid in Pretoria, we had a climbing vine with green gourds attached to it. Does anybody know what it is called? I remember splitting the gourds open and finding a dandelion - like seed inside. If it is a form of chou chou (chayote ) plant, i didnt know that you could cook it or serve it in salads. I am now in my late 50's, and this mysterious plant has fascinated me for a long time.
dawnhopeful
Plant with gourd in Pretoria, South Africa
you are right it is chayote and very delicious. there was a thread abut chayote few months ago. Belle
Are you South African, Dawnhopeful? that is, if you don't mind me asking. i am, from the Free State. and currently living in Mozambique with my parents who are missionaries here.
isaac
Chayote, Sechium edule, is what we call Choko. It's related to Gourds but isn't really considered the same as Gourds. Choko is a solid fruit whereas Gourds are generally hollow with a lot of seeds. Gourds are usually only eaten when small as they get bitter with age. Chokos are more often used as food, a lot of Gourds are dried and used ornamentally. Chokos often end up in canned fruit and pie fillings as they have no real flavour of their own and so make a cheap substitute.
Thanks for the enquiries and replies to my question. I dont think it was a chayote or chou chou plant. When I saw photos of the morrenia odorata, I immediately felt a familiarity with this weed. The dry pod - like gourd had seeds in it which had a dandelion - like appearance. I used to love to blow these seeds away in the wind.
dawnhopeful
I now live in Vancouver, Canada and still miss the beauty of the tropical plants .
I'm in Pretoria! It's Araujia Sericifera, called the cruel plant because it traps it's pollinating moth overnight before releasing it. It's a weed here and I remember also being fascinated with the pretty flowers and the pod with silky hairs to blow away. Chou chou or chayote is also a climber and the fruit is shaped like the araujia pod but no relation.
It's beautiful springtime in Pretoria with jasmine everywhere. To me a garden is incomplete without a grenadella scrambling over a chain-link fence. Sadly over-manicured gardens with a limited range of plants are now the norm.
This message was edited Sep 7, 2010 11:43 AM
Hi gardenercook. I think you have nailed it!! This climbing weed grew on a wire fence between our garden and the French Embassy. We had a wonderful frangipani tree, huge rubber plant and avocado tree (which never bore fruit) This avocado started off as a pit. We also had nasturtiums, sweetpeas and a granadilla plant in our back yard. The house has become so dilapidated since my mother sold it to the French Embassy. Apparently their cook (from the Ivory Coast0 has inhabited it from time to time
Alles van die beste, dawnhopeful
Hi gardenercook! so great to meet you! yes, formality and over-manicured gardens are the norm, leaving no room for creativity. i have only been to pretoria twice, i come from Bloemfontein. but i only lived my first 5 years in South Africa, i grew up here in Xai-Xai Mozambique, and i live here with my parents, for almost 12 years now. If you ever head up this way, do stop by!!
isaac
Ah, found some good pics of Araujia Sericifera:
http://www.google.com/images?rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS373US374&q=Araujia+Sericifera,&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=xHGYTN_uA4P6lweLlaGUAQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CC0QsAQwAw&biw=1340&bih=903
google search: http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS373US374&q=Araujia+Sericifera%2c
Strangely, the seeds look similar to Telosma Cordata a vine with the fragrance a mix of roses & violets. Same type of pod as well.
My Granadilla has just died! 2nd one to have given up the ghost! Sad. I wonder if they have a finite life?
Not around here! here they grow so much, they take over everything, i have one, and i am considering to destroy it. its taking over...
It looks and sounds very similar to what we call the stephanotis vine which has the same kind of seed and pod with a beautiful waxy fragrant white flower. Must be a cousin. Popular plant here in Hawaii on chain link fences.