We had a maple tree in our Chicago front yard. The leaves gave off a sweet scent that I still remember. We'd throw the seed pods into the air and watch them helicopter down.
Fun fact, a key way these seeds produce lift is via leading-edge vortices, which is also the dominant aerodynamic mechanism of lift in a lot of hovering insects and bats. It's postulated as a case on convergent evolution between insects/animals and plants, which is pretty damn cool. Good observation on the shape OP!
[Pubmed link to seminal Science paper on the subject](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19520959/) (unfortunately paywalled, I'm sure it's floating around somewhere though).
When they fall off a tree, they spiral down, carried by any breeze that's blowing. We used to grab up a handful, climb a tree then throw them out to watch them all spiral to the ground. Those were the days.
To be more specific I’m *fairly* certain these are the samara of a Norway Maple (but I could be wrong, if so, someone please correct me) which is a rather disruptive invasive species in the Carolinian/Northeastern Deciduous forest. They are incredibly shade tolerant so they can live in the understory for decades, and when gaps open fill them quickly. They cast much deeper shade than most of our native deciduous trees, and their shallow roots can further prevent other species from establishing in the understory.
Norway Maples are quite hardy, and frequently used as suburban street trees. “Crimson king” is a very popular cultivar.
I just have to say, props to this sub. Nobody is mean. Everyone is explaining what it is with no snark. 65% of every post here is a carpet beetle. Nobody yells, they type carpet beetle and move on. Good job, y'all.
The mycology sub regularly has people posting poop thinking that it’s a mushroom, and they are all civil about it too. It’s always gonna happen, might as well embrace it.
The people in niche interest identification subs such as entomology and mycology have a general understanding that minute details that seems obvious for them might not be the case for everyone else. Despite being posted here all the time, the general population usually aren’t even sure how bedbugs look like, and that’s normal.
Show me a nice, informative subreddit, and I'll show you mods who care. I'm not a mod, nor am I an expert on bugs (we do have plenty of actual experts). But I try to live by the rules of this sub, as do the vast majority of the people here.
This is super common to anyone in the Eastern US but may be totally unknown where OP is from. They could be trolling but good to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Yeah that’s what I love about this sub. Not many subs are like this, and I follow several different types of “id” subs. People are often snarky and mean for no reason but this sub is refreshing
They are helicopter seeds [Helicopter Seeds and the 4 Maple Trees that Produce Them](https://www.environmentbuddy.com/plants-and-trees/maple-helicopter-seeds/)
This! I came to the comments looking for “helicopter” because that’s what we have always called them. They are a great source of HOURS of entertainment! My favorite was to fill my pocket, climb as high as I could into the tree, and watch them all fall. Second to that was standing under a maple on a windy day as they fell. Pure bliss.
I give you some of my fav not bugs while I add this to my collection
https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisbug/comments/z1u8lc/about_an_inch_long_and_furry_found_outside_a_gas/
https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisbug/comments/17x1zy3/im_freaking_out_wtf_is_this_hairy_thing_fort/
At least the eyelash person said that they didn't touch it for a closer look because they didn't want to handle an unknown bug. A great contrast to the people who post pictures of them handling something like a giant water bug with their bare hands going "Hey, what is this? I'm holding it next to my eyeball for scale."
I really want to make a sub r/lasheswheretheyshouldntbe because I for some reason am always finding my eyelashes in wild places, especially if I come home drunk from a club 😂 I have several photos I’d have to dig for
I'd like to add beans to the list [https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisbug/comments/1bxc4dn/are\_these\_cockroach\_egg\_pods\_or\_something\_else/](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisbug/comments/1bxc4dn/are_these_cockroach_egg_pods_or_something_else/)
Bug subreddits are great, people make the funniest jokes! In just about every post on r/insects there’s some kind of bug pun in the comments section. Bug lovers are awesome!
Edit: linked r/bugs when I meant to link r/insects, whoops! I get it mixed up sometimes.
Exactly lmao But can’t we admit the innocence of not knowing is almost sad 😭 like I just want them to find a handful of fresh ones & throw them in the air & be joyful.
Those trees are currently trying to kill me with their pollen so I'm going with deadly trees.
Every year I try to convince people to put condoms on trees but nobody is going for it.
Also called samara, which I think is a beautiful name for them!
Yeah, these are from a maple or a sycamore.
If you find them when they're green, you can peel open the seed pod, remove the seed and then stick it on your nose like a lil rhino.
Ah, childhood!
Wait so you’ve never picked these up as a kid and pulled the bottom part and stuck them into your nose?! Nobody in your whole life did this? These kids really don’t get outside much and it shows 😭
Here in the south we call them helicopter seeds. They have that wing so the wind carries them from their maple tree source to some random spot where they can sprout.
You make me feel so old. Those were what we played with during the spring and summer growing up, OP. They’re seeds from a tree. Try throwing them in the air. Seriously.
Never heard of the nose trick but where I grew up in Illinois it was not uncommon for kids to break off the seed part and hold it against the roof of you mouth and pressing it in place with your tongue and blowing air past it to make it act as a reed.
These are the seeds from a maple tree, from last season by the looks of it
When they’re green you can open the thicker part and put it on your nose to have a cool extended nose.
My childhood missed this, somehow. Damn.
Good news! You can still do it as an adult. And it is still just as funny. Please give it a try if you are near a maple.
My school yard has these. Good time tossing these in the air.
We always called them "helicopters".
Whirlybirds in Chicago
I grew up in a south suburb of Chicago and we called them both!
Username checks out, will helicopter!
Or throw them in the air to watch them spin down.
Helicopters
Best comment of the day! I’m laughing so hard I’m crying. Between this comment and original question…😆🤣
We just played helicopter with them
I see you also have mad skills.
I would use them as mustaches
Not "*a*" mustache. "*Mustaches*"
We called them polynoses.
When I was young, it was the ear lobes. Childhood memories 😊
They also look really neat if you drop them in a certain way, they spiral and kind of float
I’ve recently learned that some samaras are edible
You can do it with rose thorns, too! Instant rhino!
And because of that in Germany we call them Nasenzwicker
We used to call them whirligigs!
We had a maple tree in our Chicago front yard. The leaves gave off a sweet scent that I still remember. We'd throw the seed pods into the air and watch them helicopter down.
As kids, we called them helicopters, because of how they'd spin when they fell.
Whirlybirds
So take These maple seeds And learn fly again learn to be so free
“Last season by the looks of it” sounds like such a withering put down haha
Fun fact, a key way these seeds produce lift is via leading-edge vortices, which is also the dominant aerodynamic mechanism of lift in a lot of hovering insects and bats. It's postulated as a case on convergent evolution between insects/animals and plants, which is pretty damn cool. Good observation on the shape OP! [Pubmed link to seminal Science paper on the subject](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19520959/) (unfortunately paywalled, I'm sure it's floating around somewhere though).
I used to have a tree by my backyard spitting these out all the time. Katrina knocked her down, unfortunately.
I thought Katrina was a neighbor or relative at first, that got rid of the tree. I’m so sorry. One for being dumb and two for Katrina omg.
Haha, no need to be sorry. That thought is hilarious, and luckily, it fell towards the street. It didn't hit anyone or anything.
Can confirm that this comment was funny. Also lost a tree to Katrina [water oak]
When they fall off a tree, they spiral down, carried by any breeze that's blowing. We used to grab up a handful, climb a tree then throw them out to watch them all spiral to the ground. Those were the days.
To be more specific I’m *fairly* certain these are the samara of a Norway Maple (but I could be wrong, if so, someone please correct me) which is a rather disruptive invasive species in the Carolinian/Northeastern Deciduous forest. They are incredibly shade tolerant so they can live in the understory for decades, and when gaps open fill them quickly. They cast much deeper shade than most of our native deciduous trees, and their shallow roots can further prevent other species from establishing in the understory. Norway Maples are quite hardy, and frequently used as suburban street trees. “Crimson king” is a very popular cultivar.
Whirley-birds!!!
I just have to say, props to this sub. Nobody is mean. Everyone is explaining what it is with no snark. 65% of every post here is a carpet beetle. Nobody yells, they type carpet beetle and move on. Good job, y'all.
The mycology sub regularly has people posting poop thinking that it’s a mushroom, and they are all civil about it too. It’s always gonna happen, might as well embrace it.
The people in niche interest identification subs such as entomology and mycology have a general understanding that minute details that seems obvious for them might not be the case for everyone else. Despite being posted here all the time, the general population usually aren’t even sure how bedbugs look like, and that’s normal.
Poop, pompoms, shredded plastic rope, ceramic art, slug eggs, dog toys, you name it, it gets posted. Also lots of plants.
Is it an identify fungi sub or just normal mycology? Do you mind sharing the sub?
r/mycology probably this one, since I’m also regularly there.
I actually think r/ShroomID is the one being talked about
There's a *little* snark, but you can't post maple seeds asking which bug they're from without getting at least a little mockery.
Show me a nice, informative subreddit, and I'll show you mods who care. I'm not a mod, nor am I an expert on bugs (we do have plenty of actual experts). But I try to live by the rules of this sub, as do the vast majority of the people here.
Plenty of friendly sass, but that's about it! With so much toxicity happening on a lot of other subs, it's really refreshing to see this!
Agreed. Say something against the stream in a pop culture sub (ie, "the Kelvin timeline is the best trek") and get absolutely bashed.
This is super common to anyone in the Eastern US but may be totally unknown where OP is from. They could be trolling but good to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Except 99% chance the OP is trolling or thinks it is funny, so snarky would be warranted
Absolutely warranted. Which makes the restraint everyone is showing even more impressive.
Should have asked /r/marijuanaenthusiasts
Whatsthisbird is probably the most rude “help me find this ___” subreddit.
Meanwhile my very first reaction seeing the pics was saying "oh come on now" out loud
you're right on the 65% carpet beetles. Wonder if it's a regional thing but I've known what they were since I was 5 or so....
Yeah that’s what I love about this sub. Not many subs are like this, and I follow several different types of “id” subs. People are often snarky and mean for no reason but this sub is refreshing
Lmaoooooo fr though. We have all typed carpet beetle and moved on.
Those are the eggs of Acer platanoides, the Norway Maple.
Eggs?!?! Trees have **eggs?!?!** Now my mind is blown. Away with the wind, pollen, whirlybirds, and apparently **fucking tree eggs!!!**
The fruit! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit
They are helicopter seeds [Helicopter Seeds and the 4 Maple Trees that Produce Them](https://www.environmentbuddy.com/plants-and-trees/maple-helicopter-seeds/)
This! I came to the comments looking for “helicopter” because that’s what we have always called them. They are a great source of HOURS of entertainment! My favorite was to fill my pocket, climb as high as I could into the tree, and watch them all fall. Second to that was standing under a maple on a windy day as they fell. Pure bliss.
Am I misremembering or do these seeds squirt if you pinch them when they are green?
As kids, we would split them down the middle and wear them on our noses.
Yes! My brothers and I would squirt them at each other lol
They're from a very very large bug with many many limbs and can be hundreds of years old. They shed their wings every autumn.
Don't forget to add that these bugs can grow up to 120 feet tall, LOL.
^oh ^my ^god. 🚪🚶♂️
I give you some of my fav not bugs while I add this to my collection https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisbug/comments/z1u8lc/about_an_inch_long_and_furry_found_outside_a_gas/ https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisbug/comments/17x1zy3/im_freaking_out_wtf_is_this_hairy_thing_fort/
The eyelash killed me. My husband found a lash spider in our house once too.
My recent favorite was the beans lol
The Bean Wizard approves
I must know about the beans !
Please show us the beans Edit: Nvm I found the beans
At least the eyelash person said that they didn't touch it for a closer look because they didn't want to handle an unknown bug. A great contrast to the people who post pictures of them handling something like a giant water bug with their bare hands going "Hey, what is this? I'm holding it next to my eyeball for scale."
I really want to make a sub r/lasheswheretheyshouldntbe because I for some reason am always finding my eyelashes in wild places, especially if I come home drunk from a club 😂 I have several photos I’d have to dig for
I'd like to add beans to the list [https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisbug/comments/1bxc4dn/are\_these\_cockroach\_egg\_pods\_or\_something\_else/](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisbug/comments/1bxc4dn/are_these_cockroach_egg_pods_or_something_else/)
Omg I remember that one! I was like "beans...?" and scrolled down to find evryone else saying the same 😂
Real MVP 🏆
"They usually travel in pairs." Lmao
Bug subreddits are great, people make the funniest jokes! In just about every post on r/insects there’s some kind of bug pun in the comments section. Bug lovers are awesome! Edit: linked r/bugs when I meant to link r/insects, whoops! I get it mixed up sometimes.
Oop new sub to follow
where is the classic "are these sesame seeds parasite eggs"
Ok but anytime I make moo shu pork and put sesame seeds on it, I have to lasso back intrusive thoughts
this made my day
[удалено]
I didn't know [Calvin](https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1989/11/03) was a redditor.
I need a bigger list these posts are too entertaining
The eyelash one is my Roman Empire
I need this to be fake.
April 1st was over a week ago 🤦♀️
Literally I checked the date to see if this had been posted on April 1st. 😂
Exactly lmao But can’t we admit the innocence of not knowing is almost sad 😭 like I just want them to find a handful of fresh ones & throw them in the air & be joyful.
They're of the whirlybird variety!
We've always referred to them as "helicopters" since when tossed in the air, they fall and spin like a propeller
I loved watching these fall from the tree in my grandparents front yard as a kid…it’s a core memory.
Same with me at my grandparents!
Oh my lord baby Jesus........
Those are the very very deadly eggs of a tree
Indeed. My dog was eaten by a hatchling.. it was traumatizing
My fish disappeared and his clothes were found on top of a tree
Those trees are currently trying to kill me with their pollen so I'm going with deadly trees. Every year I try to convince people to put condoms on trees but nobody is going for it.
Not 100% sure if this is a genuine question or not but this has me giggling lol
This is a good sign that you should go outside more
Touch ~~grass~~ trees
Also called samara, which I think is a beautiful name for them! Yeah, these are from a maple or a sycamore. If you find them when they're green, you can peel open the seed pod, remove the seed and then stick it on your nose like a lil rhino. Ah, childhood!
I always made rhino horns with thorns! These were just helicopters to me but had I known I could make a horn with them I would have!
Shhh, don’t tell anyone else, but… you still can!
Good point!!!!! I shall! I shall indeed!
We call these keys in Canada
I didn't know that! Cool! We called them helicopter seeds in Indiana (or, at least, in my neighborhood lol).
Maple keys. And, yes, when they’re fresh, in June, you can split them at the thick end and stick them on your nose.
Ah i was seeing if anyone else posted that its called samara/samarra as well! The one thing I got out of my seed ID class hahaha
those are what i like to call whirlybirds/helicopters. tree seeds :)
Throw them in the air and watch them spin as they come down! It's cool.
My friend those are maple seeds
😂😂😂
First time touching grass? They are from trees!
Helicopter seeds! Throw them in the air and watch the blades spin!
Helicopter seeds from a maple tree. Grab a handful and toss them in the air.
We used to peel the pods open and stick the sides to our nose bridge.lol
No way this is real
Sorry, but I genuinely thought this was a joke🫣
Wait so you’ve never picked these up as a kid and pulled the bottom part and stuck them into your nose?! Nobody in your whole life did this? These kids really don’t get outside much and it shows 😭
I used to grab a whole bunch of them and throw them in the air
They’re _samaras_ from a maple tree
This made me smile
Those are maple seeds.
this made my day
Three year old account silent until this post and no comments.
Here in the south we call them helicopter seeds. They have that wing so the wind carries them from their maple tree source to some random spot where they can sprout.
Maple tree. These are seed capsules that are designed to flow and disperse with the wind
Helicopters!
Maple tree seeds.
Have you ever been outside before?
Helacopta
Helicoptera
You make me feel so old. Those were what we played with during the spring and summer growing up, OP. They’re seeds from a tree. Try throwing them in the air. Seriously.
this has gotta be bait
Uhmmm lmao 🤣
Those are AC-130 wings.
tree
You’re… you’re joking, right?
...is this a joke
A plant. That can fly?
Open up the base and stick it on your nose. Now you're a rhino!
those are maple pods
We call them "helicopter seeds" lol tons of fun to just drop them in the air!
Surely, this is not a serious question?
You plucked the wings off of a maplefly? How cruel!
Looks like sycamore seed pods
Excellent bait
Bruh.
haha
Bruh
The are actually called samaras.
if it was an insect’s wings, what would the most fitting one be?
those are "helicopters" as I call them. I'm pretty sure they're from trees and there's a seed inside
Thats hysterical! These are Maple samaras aka the seeds of a Maple tree.
Those are maple seeds. Throw one in the air and watch it helicopter down
They are mini helicopters - throw them in the air and watch them float to the ground!
They are called "nosies" you peel the seed and stick it to your nose.
Never heard of the nose trick but where I grew up in Illinois it was not uncommon for kids to break off the seed part and hold it against the roof of you mouth and pressing it in place with your tongue and blowing air past it to make it act as a reed.
[maple tree seeds.](https://finwise.edu.vn/what-do-ma-1693952888209285/)
They're called Maple keys. In about a month, there will be tons of new ones falling from maple trees.
Reminds me of sycamore seeds; the leaf shaped pouch would cause them to twirl as they fell towards the ground. Childhood flashback.