Visitors to the Sakuya Konohana Botanical Garden Can eat ‘brave’ second-generation watermelons on September 7 in Osaka.
12:36 JST, September 29, 2024
OSAKA – Visitors to a botanical garden in Osaka enjoyed the taste of the offspring of the “brave” watermelon, whose vitality made it a popular topic of conversation.
In October last year, a wild watermelon was found growing on a central strip of Midosuji Avenue, which runs through central Osaka. Because of its resilience it was called the ‘brave’ watermelon.
The first-generation ‘brave’ watermelon was found growing wild on a central strip of Midosuji Avenue in Osaka on October 14, 2023.
The Sakuya Konohana Kan, Osaka Municipal Botanical Garden, grew watermelon seeds. At the end of June, the botanical garden planted eight seedlings grown from the seeds, and 16 watermelons grew.
The first generation had a diameter of about 10 centimeters, while the second grew to about 30 centimeters, with a higher sugar content. On September 7, a tasting for the second generation of watermelons was held in the botanical garden, where the unexpectedly sweeter taste surprised visitors.
The garden served bite-sized pieces of the courageous second-generation watermelons to about 200 visitors. It proved so popular that a long line formed and visitors smiled as they sampled it.
“I think I have a lot of courage already, but I feel like I’m going to have even more now,” said a 14-year-old high school girl who tasted the fruit.
