Hi June, they sure are weird lol. No two hands are ever alike. The fingers also change position a little as they grow. They seem to mature here anywhere from Halloween to Thanksgiving. They are really fragrant like a sweet lemony meringue when they are really ripe. I had one last year that I took photos of. I will try to find them. It looked different than this one. This one has more 'fingers'.

Here is a photo of the current one growing on the tree. It opened up a lot more as it ripened.

Here's a few pics of last years. It looks a lot different.

Those things freak.me.out! LOL!

I'd to build up to growing those!

There so cool, never had one or eaten one. How do they taste?have watched them grow and graft some at one point, still very cool. Congrats.

‘Buddha's Hands’ are a variant of Citrus medica (etrog). They are extremely aromatic, I throw one into my Lemon Chicken occasionally, leaving the rind on for roasted chicken.

Glenn, The rind is used and not the white pith in the center which is kinda dry and bitter like the white on the inside rind of an orange etc. I never found any seeds in mine either which is odd. I wonder how they could be hybridized. There must be occasional seeds sometimes? lol. People usually candy the rinds or make liquors. They also use the rind and make cookies, cakes etc.

jurasico, Very nice etrog. I used to have one of those too but left it when I moved to FL. I would like to find another one. Sometimes I see the Buddah's Hand in the big box stores here but have never seen an Etrog Citron tree here in FL. There's a place that offer's the Australian Fingerlime tree once in a while. I used to have one of those but it froze in a gh mishap one winter. I would love to get a red fingerlime tree (goals :D)

I have read in the Orient that people used them for air fresheners. They hang them in the doorway and give it a squeeze when they walk by lol.

I might make liquor with mine for the holidays. Last year I gave the BH fruit away to a chef.

~Sjn