Bunya-Bunya Tree: Cones

Recently I wrote about Santa Monica Treesaver's success saving the Bunya -Bunya Tree in Douglas Park. I have just received a couple of Treesaver emails giving me more information about the Cones.

Treesaver Dan Jansenson supplies this info:

"The cones of this tree contain about 50 nuts, each about the size of a large thumb. In the Australasian regions, the nuts are often roasted or barbecued, popping spectacularly, and then blended with honey for very tasty spreads. They are also used for a unique variation on pesto (as a replacement for pine nuts).

In the old days, Australian aborigines would gather every three years (during bumper crops), harvest the nuts and bury them in the ground. After a few months the nuts were ready to be eaten, having developed soft sprouts."

In a forwarded email from Councilmember Kevin McKeown (the one and only committed environmentalist on the City Council) he describes how 15 cones have now been removed from the tree in Douglas Park, for pedestrians' safety. The largest weighed 22lbs and the smaller ones were softball size. From the tree outside City Hall 21 cones were removed, the largest weighing 15lbs and the smaller ones also were softball size.

Kevin supplied this spectacular photo of the largest cone adjacent to a soup can: