Nunn: What is a China berry?
You mentioned the China berry in another thread that I didn't want to hijack.
We had a fruit we called China berry in South Africa (climate pretty similar to Texas), and I've always wondered what it was. I knew it from a single tree in my parents' yard. I was young, but I remember the fruit as grape sized, but more ovoid in shape. Color when ripe was pink-yellow mottled. The bottom of the fruit retained a little of the flower structure so that it had teeny-weeny petal-like scales on the bottom. It had a flavor unlike any other fruit I know--I'm not saying it was the be-all-end-all, but it was pleasant and unique in flavor. The fruit was like that of a guava: soft skin, fleshy innards with numerous seeds at the center (a tomato is similar, except that it has watery cavities that hold the seeds).
So what's your China berry?
(hmm...that last sentence sounded kind of sick and wrong).
We had a fruit we called China berry in South Africa (climate pretty similar to Texas), and I've always wondered what it was. I knew it from a single tree in my parents' yard. I was young, but I remember the fruit as grape sized, but more ovoid in shape. Color when ripe was pink-yellow mottled. The bottom of the fruit retained a little of the flower structure so that it had teeny-weeny petal-like scales on the bottom. It had a flavor unlike any other fruit I know--I'm not saying it was the be-all-end-all, but it was pleasant and unique in flavor. The fruit was like that of a guava: soft skin, fleshy innards with numerous seeds at the center (a tomato is similar, except that it has watery cavities that hold the seeds).
So what's your China berry?
(hmm...that last sentence sounded kind of sick and wrong).
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the china berries we have in fla, are about a pea size, red in color, once you have a china berry tree, you cant get rid of the damn things. everywhere, we hate them 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Kimbercolt
the china berries we have in fla, are about a pea size, red in color, once you have a china berry tree, you cant get rid of the damn things. everywhere, we hate them
are they edible? Sounds like a nasty infestation, but are they edible?0 -
Fast growing, big leaves, makes stalks with these cherry-size berries. Berries are beige-tan color. Berries aren't good for anything, except to fall off the tree, decay, and smell bad.
I haven't seen a China berry tree in a long time. Maybe they don't grow here, or maybe some disease got them.0 -
oh those things. they taste gawdawful too. I call them s***berries. might be able to get a pic later on today. 0 -
Chinaberry trees (Melia azederach) are common invaders in the south. They were brought in to the US in the 1800's from... well.. China (Asia). The bark is a kind of green/brown and smooth with little bumps on it. The leaves are compound leaves. The berries are toxic, but when you are a kid, they are a heck of a lot of fun to throw at each other. My Dad's pasture was the site of many a fierce chinaberry fight.... 0 -
Sounds like a different plant than what I knew. 0 -
The berries are vile things and the limbs are very weak. Most kids around here learn very early on, do not climb a China berry tree!! 0 -
Used to have a chinaberry tree next to one of the houses we lived in when I was small. Berries made great ammo for slingshots...fairly harmless but messy when they hit. Hadn't seen such a tree in YEARS but I think I've spotted one just down the road from my current abode in Southeast Louisiana. [^] 0 -
is this the tree you're talking about?
(there's no berries/fruit yet, so I didn't get a picture of that)
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...The Chinaberry trees around here (close to Nunn) have the "berries" as Nunn described. A pulpy berry with a hard seed inside. ALL parts of the berry are toxic.
...A friend of mine's little twin brothers ate a crap load of the berries while sitting under a Chinaberry tree when they were 3-4 years old, they died. This happened back in the 30's.
...When my daughter was about 2, she swallowed one of the damn things as I tried to get it out of her mouth. After the ER doc's gave her something to empty her stomach and watched her for about 3-4 hours, my wife and I sat up all night watching her...she was fine.
...DONT eat the berries!...[;)]0 -
quote:Originally posted by buschmaster
is this the tree you're talking about?
(there's no berries/fruit yet, so I didn't get a picture of that)
Nope.0 -
quote:Originally posted by texaswildman
quote:Originally posted by buschmaster
is this the tree you're talking about?
(there's no berries/fruit yet, so I didn't get a picture of that)
Nope.
Negatory.0 -
I see these trees daily but just haven't really examined. Best I remember, the flowers are very sweet smelling and hang in a big cluster like grapes. The fruit starts as green, like grapes, then ripens to a vile yellow orb, like a rotten grape. I can't imagine anything or anyone eating the fruit. Tom 0 -
quote:Originally posted by buschmaster
is this the tree you're talking about?
(there's no berries/fruit yet, so I didn't get a picture of that)
The one I knew was just bigger than a shrub and with many stems. Maybe 10 feet tall. But let's not forget that I saw it on a different continent: plant forms can be pretty variable from place to place, depending on conditions.0 -
Here you go Spurgemastur. You might have seen one growing from root sprouts or a stump - when they look like a multi-stemmed bush with very limber limbs. They ones we had on the farm were 40-50' tall. Note the leaves and berries pictures (second link is best).
http://www.bullcreek.net/chinaberry2.html
http://www.delange.org/ChinaBerry/ChinaBerry.htm0 -
quote:Originally posted by texaswildman
Here you go Spurgemastur. You might have seen one growing from root sprouts or a stump - when they look like a multi-stemmed bush with very limber limbs. They ones we had on the farm were 40-50' tall. Note the leaves and berries pictures (second link is best).
http://www.bullcreek.net/chinaberry2.html
http://www.delange.org/ChinaBerry/ChinaBerry.htm
By all accounts, that one's poisonous. The fruit I ate was tasty! Also, the fruits in those pictures lack the remnants of the flower at the base. It must just be a different plant. Thanks anyway!0 -
Does the wood have any commercial value? 0 -
ARE THEY ANYTHING LIKE A CRAB APPLE[?][?][?] 0 -
Many folks in the south planted chinaberry trees to shade the house in the days before air conditioning.They made great shade,but as far as the nasty little berries go I dont think anyone or any thing(even possums)would eat them.They would fall off the tree,rot and stink bad. 0
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