Students harvest self-grown oranges in Brooks Hall Greenhouse
Shepherd senior Tara Roberson picks the first fruit off an orange tree Friday, March 6, 2015, in the greenhouse connected to Brooks Hall. Roberson and Greenhouse Director, Patti Travioli, got the tree from the Patricks nearly two years ago, and have been taking care of it since.
When Mount Pleasant native James Patrick traveled to Arizona, he brought back two citrus trees to Central Michigan University.
He thought it would be interesting for students to grow the trees outside their natural habitat.
“I wanted them local so everyone here could enjoy them,” Patrick said.
He said the university is just part of the families’ lives and when he decided to give the plants away, he “wanted to find a good home for them.” Patrick has two granddaughters at CMU
Patrick and his wife visited CMU Friday and sliced up the two oranges that grew in the greenhouse, giving them to the students who work at the greenhouse to eat.
Patti Travioli, director of Greenhouse and Botany Laboratory and CMU Fabiano Botanical Garden, said the students have been working with the trees for a year and a half. Four students work with plant care, but about 10 have worked on plant care throughout the year and a half that they grew the oranges.
“They could see the tree, watch it flower, watch the fruit develop and then eat it,” Travioli said.
Sandusky senior Chelsea Ellis said she learned when oranges grow, how fast they grow and which insects are dangerous to them. She also learned "how delicious they are,” she said with a laugh.
Travioli said that students have seen other tropical plants before, but she doesn’t think many students have seen an orange tree.
“Since we’ve had these citrus trees, I think (students) were surprised to see them in Michigan and in our greenhouse here at CMU,” Travioli said.
After slicing up the oranges in the greenhouse, Patrick said, “that was one of the coolest things I’ve done.”
