Our mystery seeds today don’t look much like seeds.
They look like raisins or bits of dirt.
The seeds where in a cluster in a pod, which has fallen apart a bit. Those curved bits might be part of the story, as well. Hint: these do not occur naturally in Arizona.
Do you recognize what plant these seeds are from? If you choose to, please leave a comment with your ideas.
New mystery seeds and Seed of the Week answers are posted on Tuesdays.
Edit: The answer is now posted.
Anna correctly identified our mystery seeds from last week as being from a hackberry tree. These particular seeds came from the netleaf or canyon hackberry, Celtis reticulata.
Canyon hackberries are found along streams, washes, and in canyons throughout the West.
They are for the most part shrubby, small trees.
The bark on the trunk is often covered with warty knobs and ridges.
The branches can be droopy.
The leaves, however, are quite striking.
The tree gets its common name “netleaf” from the prominent veins in the leaves.
There are also netlike ridges on hackberry seeds, which is one way to recognize them.
The fruit are red-orange drupes that when ripe are a favorite of birds, which is why people grow them in landscapes.
Another good reason to grow netleaf hackberry trees is that they are the larval food of the hackberry emperor butterfly, Asterocampa celtis.
What kinds of hackberry trees grow where you live? What do you think of them?
Our mystery seeds today come from a southwestern plant.
Similar plants occur elsewhere, however, so you might recognize the genus.
The yellow object is the seed that is inside. I peeled off the brownish coating you see on the the other two.
Do you recognize what plant these seeds are from? If you choose to, please leave a comment with your ideas.
New mystery seeds and Seed of the Week answers are posted on Tuesdays.
Edit: The answer is now posted.
For more information, see Roberta Gibson Writes.
© 2025 Growing With Science Blog
Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑