The worlds prettiest seed pod?

[British Red]

I remember last year Toddy telling me she had never seen a spindle tree. They are apparently only common on high chalklands like the downs and are, frankly, boring scrubby things - till autumn. The flowers are nowt special, nor are the leaves. Then the seed pods ripen and burst and you get a whole tree that looks like this

If you haven't seen one before - I hope you like them

Red

 

[sallyinwales]

I love them, such a pretty berry, My mum has one in the garden just for the autumn seeds. I did some knitting recently inspired by spindleberry colours, worked really well even in wool

 

[JonnyP]

There are a couple on the reserve. If you look back through my old threads you will see where I found one and asked for an id. There was a huge one in a garden I was working in a few weeks ago. Very nice to see in the winter when not much else is showing...

 

[Matt Weir]

Red, I'd never heard of a Spindle ne'er mind seen the beauty of it so thanks for this. I smile as I look at the spider thread that has been stretched as the bud opened and picture the spider hoping her trap doesn't go pop.

 

[rich59]

I discovered spindle for my first time this autumn. Was out elderberrying and wondered what this strange foreign looking bush was with pink fruits. Stunned it was a native - and growing in London in a "country park".

Any uses for the fruit? I wondered if I could get some oil out of it. And why is it called "spindle"?​

 

[British Red]

Its called spindle because they used apaprently to make spindles from the wood (very fine grained apparently). I've never heard of the seeds beeing good for much but they are pretty things and, round here, a splash of colour well past christmas.

Red

 

[Mirius]

Great pictures as ever, Red thanks, and I have to say that this has always been perhaps my favourite bush, which gives my heart a little skip every time I come across one - though that is rare now that I live off chalk.

 

[Matt Weir]

now that I live off chalk.

Mirius, variety is the spice of life - try some cheese!



Sorry couldn't resist.

 

[British Red]

Mud dwellers just don't understand do they Mirius?

 

[JonnyP]

Mirius, variety is the spice of life - try some cheese!



Sorry couldn't resist.

Lol......

 

[addo]

Learning spindle when in flower at collage started me paying attention a lot more. Couldn't believe it was native. Ended up getting a rearly good mark that week for the plant ID which continued. Which was nice.

 

[bloodline]

Shed loads of these seed pods out on the North Downs at the moment very beautiful with the autumn leaves behind. The seeds inside are such a contrast to the pod being bright yellow! Has this plant multiplied in recent years? as I dont recall them in my youth and im walking in the same places. As the wood was used for spindles in the past- last year I tried a piece for a bow drill spindle but had no sucess.

 

[Toadflax]

I wondered what these were when I saw some in Radley Wood near Oxford this week (mixed deciduous woodland). Now I know to Red.


Geoff