‘Forbidden popsicles’ pop up in Washington nursery — but don’t eat them, officials say
“Forbidden popsicles” have popped up across a Washington nursery — and officials are warning against eating them.
These bubble-like icicles might look tasty, but they aren’t edible because they are baby trees, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources said in a Jan. 16 Facebook post.
The seedlings are grown at the Webster Forest Nursery in Olympia, where workers spray them with mist until a layer of ice forms around them.
This layer protects the seedlings from freezing temperatures, so “we actually welcome the ice,” the department said in the post.
Officials said the seedlings — known as “forbidden popsicles” — are used to replant timber harvested from state trust lands.
“There are 2.1 million acres of state trust forests statewide, so it takes millions of seedlings to do this big job each year — with 14 species custom-grown for numerous different growing zones across the state,” officials said in the post.
People shared their thoughts on social media.
“Instructions unclear, tongue stuck to baby treesicle,” one person replied on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Is this anything like, ‘don’t shove beans up your nose,’ because you know I’m tempted now,” another person said.
This story was originally published January 16, 2024 at 3:24 PM with the headline "‘Forbidden popsicles’ pop up in Washington nursery — but don’t eat them, officials say."
