r/whatsthisplant • u/GreyjoyKilljoy • Nov 11 '24

These sprouted from my neighbor's tree Identified ✔

What the heck is sprouting from this tree? The "fruit" is about 2 feet in length. Plano, TX if it matters.

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u/Fit_Anteater6793 Nov 11 '24

Loofah gourd as the others said. They are edible but these look past their prime as they get super fibrous when overgrown. Leave them on the vine to dry out until it turns brown and the outer layer will harden. Then, you can peel the outer layer and shake the seeds out. Cut the loofah however you like and you got yourself a lil supply of natural scrubber. A great exfoliator for your body too.

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u/ujelly_fish Nov 12 '24

They also have a very unusual taste when young, in my opinion, couldn’t get past it.

16

u/Shlocktroffit Nov 12 '24

sounds like a bad taste, what's it like?

43

u/Fit_Anteater6793 Nov 12 '24

It's kind of mild and has a high water content similar to cucumber and zucchini. Can be eaten raw, in stir fry, and will soak up whatever soup/stew it's cooked in. The skin and seeds can be a bit bitter, so they taste best extra young in my opinion. The flowers and young leaves are also edible.

6

u/issr Nov 12 '24

It looks a lot like something called Bitter Melon (might be a translation of some east asian name? dunno). A Chinese coworker gave me a taste one time. It was nice.

2

u/ujelly_fish Nov 12 '24

To me they tasted like a bitter zucchini and with a similar texture when cooked.

1

u/Shlocktroffit Nov 12 '24

sounds like Dollar Store zucchini to me, thanks :)

1

u/ujelly_fish Nov 12 '24

I’d rather eat the zucchini! Haha. It was fun to make the loofahs though!

1

u/Cheddartooth Nov 12 '24

That would make me nervous. Especially since curcurbits with a high level of curcurbitacin e (toxic squash syndrome) can kill you, and the warning sign to look for before consumption is bitter flavor.

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u/ujelly_fish Nov 12 '24

Yup, definitely something to be concerned about, but luffa gourds I have heard (since they are different genetically and not derived from the same wild squash source) cannot cross pollinate like other gourds.

I ate only one little one, and I was fine, and had no desire to eat more.