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I'm not sure if this is a type of melon or pumpkin (I didn't have this type of pumpkin growing last year, so I doubt it's a pumpkin and would presume it's a melon as I did try to grow those last year). These melons are self planted, I remember throwing my water melons out in the yard (rotten ones) and I believe these are the result of doing so lol. Plus looking at the color and such I'm kinda thinking they are about ready to be harvested, and I want to do so before the gophers beat me too it.
I can't tell what this plant is, if it's a weed or not. It looked kinda nice so I staked it up and let it grow in my raised bed (but I've noticed a few out in my yard like those melons)
Reason I called it water melon was because I grew a few rare type of melons + yellow/red/orange watermelons last season so I was thinking it could be some kind of hybrid. Also, you guys think I should pick that one?
Pick one and see what it tastes like, raw and cooked. I agree not enough cuts for watermelon leaves. Last pics are definitely black nightshade family plant, whether an edible "Wonderberry" or not, I dunno.
I tend to agree with Kya, top one looks like a spaghetti squash, especially the leaves but.... the fruits of spaghetti squash are usually uniform in the shape, that fruit does look like it could be a type of melon. Now I really want to know what it is. Please tell us what you find out.
The second photo could be Solanum melanocerasum (garden Huckleberry)which has edible berries.
If you are not sure whether you planted these play it safe and do not sample the ripe berries, because it could be the Black solanum nigrum which is poisonous!
I did plant wonder berries, but they did not germinate (?) so I thought... The variety I planted gets between 18" and 24" tall, so if it goes beyond that it probably is something else. Well, I can't help myself and I will probably sample - if they are bitter I'll spit it out, if they are sweet I'll take my chances.
I was thinking I grew crooked necked (bumpy variety) and Kakai pumpkins. Those are the only two squashes I grew last season. After I picked it I gave it a nice thump and it didn't respond well, so I knew it wasn't ripe, the flesh has a pumpkin smell, the seeds don't taste good at all though (kakai pumpkin seeds fresh out of a pumpkin taste amazing, which are hulless). I didn't try any of the flesh as it seems it isn't ripe (my aunt came over and said let's try it). I've got plenty more, these are actually growing in grass with little to no watering. Quite interesting if it's a crooked neck squash and pumpkin hybrid. The next one I harvest will following pumpkin harvesting rules.
the flesh and skin do look like spaghetti squash. The seeds and the way in which they are in the fruit look right too. If it is real fiberous it is a spaghetti squash. But usually they are more like a football and not globe shaped. I am wondering if it crossed and if so with what.
This is identical to my plant, and I did attempt to grow this type of plant this season. But my cats decided to use the planter as a litter box, so I tossed it outside. I was looking at the plant and the berries have the same structure as these (not to mention these are the seeds I bought - well same seeds just elsewhere). I've never ever seen this grow as a weed in my area so it's really hard for me to believe a plant growing in my yard looks near/identical to the seeds I attempted to grow. I tasted some and they wasn't like super sweet or bitter just kinda not fully mature (they nearly fail in my hands when I touched them) so I spit them out, and will try them again a bit later in the season.
Down here we call that beauty berry. You can't actaully eat the berry itself but we do make jelly from it. I know that sounds strange but that what's "they" say. Whoever "they" is. The old timers talk about not eating them, I never bother to dispell the myth.
We call them annual huckleberries up here.
Good for jam and are not eaten fresh. The cooking process breaks down the toxins in the fruit and the sugar counteracts the slight bitterness/tartness.
Garden huckleberries taste better to me if cooked with lemon juice or something else sour, as well as a load of sugar. They get black and shiny, then turn a dull black- that's when they're really ripe. Grasshoppers here will take a bite out of each one!
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