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Squirrel Artichokes

Continuing with the cleanup of my garden after winter, it was time to collect all the pine cones and put them as mulch underneath the blue spruce. Blue spruce cones are different than pine cones.

This is what wikipedia says about blue spruce cones:
The cones are pendulous, slender cylindrical, 6-11 cm long and 2 cm broad when closed, opening to 4 cm broad. They have thin, flexible scales 20-24 mm long, with a wavy margin. They are reddish to violet, maturing pale brown 5–7 months after pollination. The seeds are black, 3-4 mm long, with a slender, 10-13 mm long pale brown wing.
The pine cones are much thicker and hardier and when open look like little hedgehogs. Imagine my surprise, when I discovered something that looked like a little pineapple, but it was a pine cone. This is the first time since I moved to this house that I have seen this (10 years). To me they look like artichokes, after you have pulled the leaves off. So I guess the resident squirrel population thinks that these pine cones are a delicacy.

I am curious if others have noticed this also and would love to hear from you.

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