I got my first fruits from my Noni (Morinda citrifolia) plant in the last few weeks:



sliced open:


I'm not sure if any one else out there is growing this but it really is an interesting plant. It makes a pretty, low care ornamental and produces unusual looking fruit from seed in about a year.



The Noni is reputed to be a "medicinal" type fruit that supposedly does wonders for the body. In my experience it really does wonders to your olfactory system as the ripe fruit is very fragrant ...in a negative way. If you snip the fruit off & toss them before they fully ripen you never notice the scent. Anyhow if anyone is interested I kept some seed for others to try.

It has some similarities to a cherimoya. Is it in the same family?

Eyeckr, Noni is commonly called "starvation fruit" -- HOWEVER, oil extracted from the Noni seed is used in many beauty products, now I know the secret why your so popular with the girls.

Millet
Carl Linnaeus 1707-1778
300th Anniversary

I've read good hype and bad hype about it.

I'm more inclined to believe the bad hype because I don't see many healthy people in the places they are growing.... But I could be wrong for other reasons.

I used to have a noni plant and it died after the first frost.

Good for you Eyekr, you must have a warm place to produce fruit!

Now that you mention it the fruit does look as if it were related to the annona family like a cherimoya. Here's what info I did find out about it:

http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/noni/downloads/morinda_species_profile.pdf

LOL Millet! You caught me. I actually make a noni concoction that I slip into the ladies drinks while I'm at the bar and it works wonders JK!

Joe my warm place is at the landing @ the top of my stairs where it gets a couple of hours of sun a day. It seems to be content as a houseplant. I used to have a rare variegated one that apparently was very cold sensitive. I lost it after it experienced about 40 degrees one night.

Isn't the Noni suppose to smell like rotting onions? What does it taste like, if you can get past the smell?
I thought I read somewhere that the Noni is just nasty.
Darren

Maybe that's why Millet says it's the "starvation fruit" LOL.

To put it lightly the ripe fruit smell like old gym socks soaked in cat urine and maybe thrown in some raw sewage for good measure. I couldn't get past that smell to bring myself to taste a ripe fruit. I did sample an unripe fruit that had no smell which I found to be very bitter at the same objectionable taste level as trifoliate fruit.

I don't care how bad it smells, it can't possibly be as bad as durian.

I tasted the juice. The after taste smells like burnt rotten plastic amidst a burning landfill. Sour and very hard to swallow, but I did. Durian is way more aromatic.

something that smells and taste that bad has to be good for you?? I tried Noni juice long time ago.. I couldn't get past the taste.. My dad is big on the idea it is healthy for you.. I had considered growing one for my dad considering how much they charge for the juice.. but if the smell is that bad think I'll skip it.. I have teens.. no need for more dirty sock smell that I already have to put up with.. LOL
Thanks for posting about it Eyeckr.. I've been thinking of posting asking questions and asking if any one was growing it..
when I get a green house and can have stink outside maybe I'll try growing one for dad then.. or maybe get one for him to grow himself...

Gina *BabyBlue*

Is it as bad as the fruit from the gingko? We have a few female gingkos growing in parks around here and the fruit smells exactly like vomit in the hallways of junior high. Sorry but that's the closest description I can think of, and the kindest. The gingko nut however, has a very interesting taste when it's toasted.

Well, I thought about trying to grow some.
I have enough cats wandering the neighbohood and five inside cats. I clean the kitty box ALOT!
So cat urine smell I have enough of, not liking so much on the dirty gym socks and sewage!? Won't even go there! Think I will pass on this fruit!
Thanks for the info/education Eyeckr!
Darren