I can’t believe we are up to mystery seed #125 already. Some weeks it is hard to come up with something new, but then I look again at a common plant that I’ve taken for granted and there’s our mystery seed 🙂
If you live in a warm climate, you may have seen these green fruit hanging on a shrub or small tree.
Over time they start to darken.
This is what they look like when they’ve fallen off the plant.
Any ideas what plant these belong to?
Edit: the answer is now posted.
What were our teeny tiny mystery seeds from two weeks ago?
Those are portulaca or moss rose seeds, Portulaca grandiflora.
Moss rose flowers get their name from the fact they resemble old-fashioned roses. They come in a vibrant assortment of colors.
The plants are also sometimes called moss-rose purslane, and other members of the genus Portulaca are also called purslane. They have similar fleshy, succulent-looking leaves.
Moss roses are originally from South America.
Portulacas are small, hardy annuals that stand up well to dry conditions. The only problem we have with them is that the birds love to eat them.
Have you ever grown portulacas?
The mystery seeds for this week are from a common flowering plant grown as an annual.
The seeds are super tiny, no more than dust flecks (smaller than the “o” on the penny).
Don’t they look like tiny snail shells close up?
Do you have any idea what plant these seeds might be from? If so, be sure to leave us a comment.
Edit: the answer is now posted.
For more information, see Roberta Gibson Writes.
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