Oscar,
I'm hoping to have bragging rights of being the first grower documented to fruit a E. candolleana on mainland USA.
If I'm lucky enough to have fruits this year (finally have some set now, but I know they can all fall off at anytime with my luck) I will be eager to taste them, and put the seeds to good use. My nephew likes to put them in the oven, and then paint them...so he can make beaded necklaces for arts and crafts class in school. What a creative little guy! and I'm so glad the seeds aren't being wasted!
Here's some pics of what might be the first fruits of E candolleana in FL or maybe within the 48 contiguous.
Flowers thick and heavy, very densely packed! FULL SUN!!
Flowers smell amazing, and shed pollen everywhere. The bees seemed to ignore the flowers for the most part, maybe because this young flowering plant caught them by surprise, and they didn't expect a bounty of flowers to feast on? I'm guessing this species is sufficiently pollinated with wind...but sryphid flies and bees go crazy for the fragrance I bet.
Some of the first fruits starting to fill out...the fruits set quite abundantly with this 3rd and most numerous array of blooms my tree has produced. Of course when I go outside each day, I notice that about only 5-10% of flowers will eventually grow up to be consumable fruit.
A special thanks to those who were wise enough to plant these seeds (u know who u r
), and obtain these plants years ahead of the masses. You have a special place in my garden's heart.