Plastic-like flying saucers hang from tree branches — Pingtung fruit farmer grows hundreds of “toy pumpkins”

▲ Various uniquely shaped toy pumpkins. (Photo / Provided by Pingtung County Government)

Reported by You t
ru / Compiled by HowToTrip

Bizarrely shaped pumpkins appear in Taiwan. A Pingtung fruit farmer, Lu Songchang, has planted various oddly shapedtoy pumpkins,With over a hundred types of pumpkins, their appearances are unique — aside from watermelon-like shapes, there are also those resembling flying saucers and crane heads. From a distance, they could easily be mistaken for plastic toys hanging on trees.

They may look like plastic toys, but they are actually real pumpkins. Lu Songchang has planted various shaped toy pumpkins on a 3,000-plus ping plot of land in Majia, Pingtung. He says there are currently about 100 types of toy pumpkins, which are for ornamental purposes only and not edible. The pumpkins planted in October took about 40 days to mature and have gradually begun to bear fruit. These toy pumpkins are highly durable for storage and can last more than three months when fully ripe. Varieties include little flying saucers, Buddha’s hands, dragons and phoenixes, little angels, golden boys, and jade girls, which can be used as decorative ornaments full of whimsical charm.


▲ There are currently about 100 types of toy pumpkins, which are for ornamental purposes only and not edible. (Photo / Provided by Pingtung County Government)

Recently, the toy pumpkins have been harvested successively, and Lu Songchang has also taken the opportunity to display and sell them at various exhibitions, with a fixed stall at the Indigenous Peoples Cultural Park. Interested members of the public can also inquire about visiting the farm to experience touching the toy pumpkins firsthand and feel the unique charm of these non-traditional pumpkins.