Wild Bur Cucumber
Bur Cucumbers are a member of the Cucumber Family living on the wild side of the garden fence. The fruit bears no resemblance to their pickling cousins and looks nothing like anything you’d want to put in your mouth.
Bur Cucumber Flower – Sicyos angulatus
Hairy and Scary come together. Bald Faced Hornets generally mind their own business and this one didn’t mind me getting in it’s face. Stir up their nest though and you’ll be in a world of trouble.
White Faced Hornet
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Like garden variety cucumbers the wild vines keep producing new fruit as the older ones mature.
I really don’t know if these are edible or not. Looking at them I don’t think anyone would want to try. But something did. Looks like they didn’t finish their meal but at least it gave us a peek at the single flat seed within each pod.
A bit anti-climatic but here’s what the leaf looks like.
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September 8th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
I really enjoyed time lapses to watch this unusual cucumber grow.
September 8th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Older folks keep reminding us about looking out for signs if a fruit is edible or not. Those consumed by bigger animals like squirrels and monkeys are generally safe. We should never use insects as benchmark because they are short lived anyway… huh, is your wild cucumber safe?.. hmm. ~bangchik
September 8th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
I love the photos–very… I don’t know the adjective!
September 8th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Your “Power Ranger” is called the White Ranger. It is powerful, at one click it grows bigger.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
You’re right, that doesn’t look like something I’d want to eat. Not too fond of cucumbers either, for that matter!
We have a lot of Bald-Faced Hornets here but have only seen one nest — that’s probably a good thing. If I ever brush by one in the tractor I hope I’m going at high speed.
September 9th, 2009 at 7:33 am
This one is a little different from the kind that I used to see wild when I lived nearer to the country. Ours had a larger “fruit” with more seeds in it. Great shots. The bald-faced hornet is giving you a particularly cooperative pose.
September 9th, 2009 at 11:30 am
Wow, I’ve never seen this one before. We have your basic wild cucumber around here, and I perversely love it. Maybe because the best (or worst, depending on your POV) room shaft I did while at ag. college was to basically festoon a classmate’s room with bags and bags of wild cucumber vines. I think she forgave me…eventually.
September 9th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Very cool cucumber. Not sure if I’d want to eat it but at least to try it I think. I wonder if it tastes like a cuke? Great series of pictures which almost make it seem like it is out of this world.
September 9th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Just curious, what does your wife have to say about the cold feet comment?:) Love the frog picture.
September 9th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
I think we used to find these are kids and pretended to eat them ? LOL
Your pictures are amazing Mr. WiseA** you get better and better all the time .. pretty soon you will be darn PERFECT !! haha
I noticed you said you haven’t seen Monarchs either (on Jodie’s post) .. I have not yet either as well .. I grow it ALL .. a butterfly smorgasbord and NONE .. is it me or Kingston ???
November 5th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
During a recent walk I discovered a vine on our property that I have never seen before. It matches the pictures presented on this site. It seems that I would have noticed the blossom earlier? Unless there is another vine that produces the spiked green oval pod containing ‘beans’ this must be it.
Are they edible beans and are the indigenous to Northwest Indiana?
Thank you