Fun With Plants

One of my favorite things so far about being here is that I keep running into things that I’ve forgotten about from my childhood. Here is one of those things:

When I was younger, my friends and I called this a “Knallerbsen” plant, which I think translates roughly to “Exploding Peas.” In Griesheim, where we lived, there were only a few of these bushes, and one of them was in the yard belonging to a town police officer. Once a year, whenever the bushes would grow these white “peas,” we liked to pick them and then either throw them on the ground as hard as we could, or stomp on them. Why? Well, they make a really loud, cool popping sound that resembles bubble wrap. It’s really fun, even now. Back then there was the added rush of having to steal something from a police officer’s yard, but they seem to grow all over the place here.

Another fun plant (no picture, sorry) has thin green pods that shoot tiny black seeds if you pop them. I think I’ve lost the knack for it; I need to practice more. Also represented in Minden is the dreaded “Sting Weed,” but so far I’ve managed to avoid any close encounters.