Western Mountain Ash Berries

Berries on a Western Mountain-ash shrub

The Western Mountain Ash (Sorbus scopulina) is a shrub that grows wild in the Rocky Mountains.  The plant is a member of the Rose family (Rosaceae), and despite the common name, it is not related to Ash trees.  In spring the shrub bears clusters of white flowers that mature in late summer to bright red-orange berries.  The berries are eaten by birds and a number of mammals, including deer, elk and moose.

I photographed this example in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.

Flowers on a Mango Tree

Name: Mango (Mangifera indica L.)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

When our mango trees are in flower, two things are certain: a) delicious fruit is on its way; b) I will be sneezing until the fruit replaces the blossoms.   I am allergic to mango pollen, but fortunately I am not allergic to the wonderful fruit!

Tip for the allergy-prone from someone who has learned the hard way:  Never hang your freshly laundered bedsheets out to dry on a clothesline strung under a mango tree that is in bloom! ;-)

Banana Flower

Banana (Musa sp.)

Location:  Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

Our banana trees are flowering, and some are beginning to fruit.  Right now, the newly formed green bananas are only about three inches (8 cm) long.  Once they have grown to their full size, they will begin to turn yellow.   We like to eat them before they over-ripen, so when the fruit is about half-yellow, a 'hand' at a time will be cut from the tree.

We love having bananas fresh from the garden.  The only problem is that so many seem to ripen at once, yielding more than we can eat before they spoil.  When faced with an oversupply, we share them with neighbors, sometimes trading the bananas for types of fruits we don't grow.

Blossoms on a Meyer lemon tree, just beginning to fruit

Meyer Lemon (Citrus × meyeri)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

The blossoms on one of our lemon trees are beginning to fruit right before our eyes.  This photo shows several stages of the flower-to-fruit transition all in one blossom cluster.  These blossoms are on a Meyer lemon tree.   The blossoms are deliciously fragrant, and the fruit is exceptionally juicy.  The juice is excellent for fresh lemonade and for cooking.

Pineapple Flower

Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

Beginning last November, I documented the growth of a pineapple in my garden over a period of several months, from the time it was a very small fruit until it was ready to pick. (That particular pineapple has since been harvested and eaten!) The stage that was omitted from that previous series was the earliest one: the pineapple flower.

Here is a new pineapple flower that is blooming in our garden now. The beginning of what will be the pineapple's crown is just starting to form in the center of the flower. I took this photo a few days ago, immediately after a rain. Look carefully and you will see that the pineapple has captured some rainwater in the crown.

Pineapple - Almost Ready to Eat

Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

I've been recording the progress of this pineapple's growth here for months, from the time it was about the size of a pine cone.  By mid-January, the pineapple had doubled in size, and then it began to grow its beautiful crown.

The pineapple is plump and heavy now -- so heavy that its weight tipped it over nearly parallel to the ground a few days ago, although it is still firmly attached to the plant.   Its crown is enormous, and the fruit is taking on a golden sun-drenched hue.  Finally, it is almost ready to pick and eat.

The Pineapple's Crown

Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

This is the third in a series of posts documenting the growth of a pineapple on one of the plants in my garden . In November I posted a macro photo of the fruit when it was not much bigger than a pine cone.  In the second photo, the fruit looked well-formed, though still small, and it was beginning to grow a crown.

Pineapples mature slowly, but this one's recent growth spurt makes us hopeful that we may be able to pick it and enjoy the sweet fruit a bit earlier than we had expected.  Thanks in part to the abundant rain we have seen over the past few weeks, the pineapple has become plump, and as you can see, it now has a well-formed crown.

Pineapple Progress

Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

Here is an update on the pineapple from my garden that I displayed here about two months ago.     The pineapple has nearly doubled in size since then, and is now developing quite a lovely crown, too.   (Here's what it looked like in November.)

Pineapples grow slowly.  This one probably will not be fully ripe and large enough to pick and eat until late Spring or early Summer.

New Little Pineapple

Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

Awhile back I posted a photo of a green pineapple - just about full grown, but not quite ready to pick.  Here is a macro photo of a much smaller pineapple in my garden.  In real life, this one is only about two inches (5 cm) tall.   At this stage, it looks more like a pine cone than a fruit.  Notice that it has just the mere beginnings of what will become its tall crown.  This one will not be fully grown and ripe enough to pick until next summer.