My "hand grenade" tree
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — General Discussion
ZolotoyRetriever — 7 months ago(August 26, 2025 10:53 PM)
Well, it's actually a tree on my neighbor's property, but the branches reach over to my side by a good bit. It's some kind of evergreen tree (I know not what) that produces these big, dense pinecones that look like small pineapples, or better yet, hand grenades. They ooze pitch, too, so I've started to climb up on a ladder and start picking off the ones I can reach so they don't fall on the lawn and gunk up my mower. I put them in a cardboard box to dry out, then later I'll toss them in the campfire. With all that pitch, they must be high-BTU fuel.
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Lilith — 7 months ago(August 26, 2025 11:19 PM)
They look totally fake! I've never seen anything like those before, and especially that colour. They look like they've developed a nice patina lol
Good idea about the pitch. My mower was down and out for a bit.
"Your emotional state is not my responsibility." – Warren Smith -
ZolotoyRetriever — 7 months ago(August 26, 2025 11:27 PM)
They do look unreal, don't they? lol It's NOT the image that comes to mind when I think if a pine cone. And yes, they are sticky with dripping pitch… I have to grab them with a paper towel so I don't gunk up hands or gloves (pitch is a bitch to clean off, trust me).
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ZolotoyRetriever — 7 months ago(August 26, 2025 11:33 PM)
Oh, okay… also possibly Deodar cedar? Or is that the same? Anyway, when I googled it, I got images of Deodar cedars and their cones that look just like the one on my property line. Alien eggs is right!
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ZolotoyRetriever — 7 months ago(August 27, 2025 02:41 AM)
The cones? Sure: they are essentially seed pods that serve to propagate the tree. The cones that hit the ground also eventually decompose and create mulch in the soil around the tree, which not only feeds the tree itself but feeds other plants.
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ZolotoyRetriever — 7 months ago(August 27, 2025 02:45 AM)
I believe it's actually a Deodar cedar:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cedrus_deodara