Author Topic: A Few Pics from Oak Park Conservatory, Chicago IL  (Read 429 times)

elouicious

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A Few Pics from Oak Park Conservatory, Chicago IL
« on: August 10, 2022, 08:06:50 PM »
So my travels had me in chicago this past weekend and since everyone knows I want to do plant things and we had a few hours to kill we decided to check out Oak Park Conservatory-

I have to say I was really impressed with what they were able to do in the small amount of space-

Fruiting cacao in Z5- apparently they arent doing anything with them though



Monstera deliciosa- almost grabbed one with the way Miami fruit has been going on and on and on about them-




And a nice little surinam cherry by the koi pond-



Honorable mention but not pictured - ponderosa lemon, pomegranates, bursera odorata, calamondin, and opuntia spp.

W.

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Re: A Few Pics from Oak Park Conservatory, Chicago IL
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2022, 08:14:49 PM »
Shame about those cacao pods going to waste. Also, it did not look like any monstera were ripe. I am not sure whether they ripen off the plant, but I know it is a bad idea to eat unripe fruit.

It looks like, despite their considerable pruning, their Surinam cherry is not getting enough light. Mine are a lot fuller and bushier than that, but ones I have kept in the shade for a while tend to get a little spindly and leggy, like theirs.

Still, like you alluded to, it shows what you can grow in cold areas with the right set up.

elouicious

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Re: A Few Pics from Oak Park Conservatory, Chicago IL
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2022, 08:28:31 PM »
I have to admit to grabbing one of the pods after seeing all that rotted fruit- Either the conservators and/or the public clearly don't know when to pick the pods

The citrus were picked clean because I assume people know what they look like when ripe-

I also assumed the monstera fruit had to drop to be ripe- and that you really don't want to eat an unripe one

looked around on the ground as there was a stamen with no fruit left but maybe somebody got to it before me

Surinam is definitely not super happy- no fruit on it but also not really the season

RS

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Re: A Few Pics from Oak Park Conservatory, Chicago IL
« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2022, 08:07:38 AM »
The two monstera fruit at rear of first photo look like they might be ready soon. How did the dropped fruit look? I've only picked it from the plant.

The scales should be well formed and will start to separate at the base. It's a delicious fruit! You eat it in stages as the scales fall off. How funny to get ripe monstera in Chicago :)