Blog article by Paula Pashby
I love autumn - a time for enjoying the cool weather and watching the leaves change colors. The first signs that I notice of the approaching season are when neighbors decorate their front patios with bright orange pumpkins of all sizes and roundish shapes. This is also a time when my husband begins to drop hints to visit a local pumpkin patch for fun and play. And yes, I already have a set of pumpkins out by my front door to celebrate the season.
While out-and-about shopping the other day, I came upon a delightful decoration hidden among some indoor potted plants: a bouquet of tiny pumpkins no larger than 2 inches wide hanging on thin wooden branches. I have never come across pumpkins this small, and there was no one around to ask about these little gourds. Regardless, I just had to bring some home for our entryway display.
The store cashier commented on cute miniature pumpkins and was equally puzzled about what they could be or their origins. As I drove home, I wondered if these were baby pumpkins or what? I do know that pumpkins grow on vines, not wooden stalks. The bouquet was in a container with water, so they are not a manufactured decoration.
Curiosity got the best of me, so I pulled over and opened a software app that I have on my phone, which provides assistance in identifying plants. I attached a photo of the pumpkins, and the application presented several possible identifications.
The one result that looked like the bouquet was about a plant variety called Solanum integrifolium. This is an ornamental eggplant that is often used for autumn decorating. I learned that these cut eggplant stems have a long vase life but can also be dried out to last the season. The little gourds will retain their bright orange color and have a playful rattle from the dried seeds within.
And, funny enough, this plant is called “pumpkins on a stick”!
Another fun day in the life of a Master Gardener…