# osage orange ?



## buddylee (Sep 1, 2012)

I found a group of trees yesterday in an abandoned lot in town yesterday that I believe may be orage orange. Sorry no pics, only a description. The tree had a green "fruit" about the size of a baseball. The tree looked kinda like a pear tree with some good sized thorns. The leaves were kinda heart shapeded. No one around here I've talked to has seen an Osage orange tree. Does my description sound like one ?


----------



## blujacket (Sep 1, 2012)

Yes


----------



## Dave_B (Sep 1, 2012)

Sounds like you are describing a hedge apple tree.


----------



## Thistle (Sep 1, 2012)

Osage-Orange,Hedge,Hedge Apple,Bois d' arc.............. different  regional names for the same tree.


----------



## zeke (Sep 1, 2012)

could be the elusive thorned green baseball tree


----------



## Dave_B (Sep 1, 2012)

Thistle said:


> Osage-Orange,Hedge,Hedge Apple,Bois d' arc.............. different regional names for the same tree.


 

Ahh, I see.  I feel like a dunce.


----------



## weatherguy (Sep 1, 2012)

Thistle said:


> Osage-Orange,Hedge,Hedge Apple,Bois d' arc.............. different regional names for the same tree.


 
Dont forget monkeyball tree


----------



## DexterDay (Sep 1, 2012)

Yep... Thats the Good Stuff


----------



## mywaynow (Sep 1, 2012)

Monkey brain tree, as per my better half.


----------



## ScotO (Sep 1, 2012)

don't let Osagebow see that.......he'll be after ya for some staves!    That's some of the better burning wood out there!


----------



## osagebow (Sep 1, 2012)

Nooooooooo! Don't burn it
Nah, just kidding. possibly the best wood out there, but sharpen that chain and watch those thorns. Pure evil!


----------



## fox9988 (Sep 1, 2012)

I hate dealing with the brushbut the BTU's are


----------



## swagler85 (Sep 1, 2012)

Just dont try eating the fruit, tried that once. 
Deer around where I hunt love them things, so I tried a bite to see how it was. UGHHHH horrible, nasty taste, and sticky.
Couldnt even get it off my knife for a while. That was a mistake by learned a valuable lesson.


----------



## buddylee (Sep 1, 2012)

That is the same fruit above that I picked off the tree. I don't know who owns the lot so cutting it is out of the question. I've never seen a osage orange before nor has anyone I know around here. What I'm interested in is how do I go about getting more. Do you get seeds from the pods ?


----------



## Thistle (Sep 1, 2012)

Hardest & heaviest wood in temperate North America,twice as strong as Hickory,even more resilient.One of the most decay resistant also,rivals Redwood,Black Locust & Black Walnut in durability.


----------



## mywaynow (Sep 1, 2012)

Farmers used the tree as a natural hedge, thus the term hedgewood is used.  The fruit was mashed and thinned out with water.  Trenches were dug in the fields and the "soup" was poured into the trench and covered.  It would only take a couple years and the hedge with all its' stickers would keep the cattle or horses contained.


----------



## cptoneleg (Sep 1, 2012)

Grew up in north Texas and we called them Horse Apples Was allways told that after the Great Dustbowl they were planted in Rows by the Gv't in the 30's Shelter Belts from wind.


----------



## Lewiston (Sep 1, 2012)

Dave_B said:


> Ahh, I see. I feel like a dunce.


No reason to. In your neck of the woods it _IS_ Hedge Apple.  The great thing with this site is the wealth of knowledge which is an asset for those of us who are continually learning, meaning all of us. Never trust an individual who claims to know it all.


----------



## Dave_B (Sep 1, 2012)

Lewiston said:


> No reason to. In your neck of the woods it _IS_ Hedge Apple.  The great thing with this site is the wealth of knowledge which is an asset for those of us who are continually learning, meaning all of us. Never trust an individual who claims to know it all.


Thanks.  In the short time that I have been involved with this site, I have learned scads of info, thanks to all of you guys.


----------



## Chopernator (Sep 2, 2012)

Yeah thats some goood eatin there boy ooooooo, weeeeeeeeeee


----------



## Ralphie Boy (Sep 2, 2012)

Careful bout burning in an open fireplace or pit as it can throw sparks and burning chunks half way roun the world!


----------



## Wood Duck (Sep 2, 2012)

I think if you just mash the fruit into the soil you should get some sprouts in the spring. I'd bury the mashed fruit an inch or so deep so the squirrels don't eat all your seeds.


----------



## BoilerMan (Sep 2, 2012)

Man, it lookes like a green monkey brain to me toooo!  I'd be planting some of it.

TS


----------



## Backwoods Savage (Sep 3, 2012)

I remember those green balls from my youth. For many years we had no idea what it was and had the only one that I know of in the area. Sadly, I now find it is gone. Someone maybe used it for firewood. I used to use them as softballs. Made a mess on the bat.


----------



## Nixon (Sep 3, 2012)

I'd love to get my hands on some , but it's fairly rare up here. I have planted about 20-30 of them and a bunch of various locust over the last few years . But, that's for the next owner of this places enjoyment . Even planted a couple of sweet gums so that whoever it is will bless my name when I'm gone .


----------



## osagebow (Sep 3, 2012)

I used to work at Riverview Golf Course in Elizabeth township, built on old farmland. Lots of it there. We always used to sneak off and do the Bill Murray bit from caddyshack and whack dozens of 'em on hole 15.

"Cinderella story, outta nowhere, former groundskeeper about to become the masters champion.." WHACK..

."It's in the hole ! "


----------



## lukem (Sep 4, 2012)

I have a ton of those things in my yard right now.  My 6yo son uses them as "bait" for his live trap because he saw a squirrel eating one once.  He has yet to nab a squirrel.


----------



## dorkweed (Sep 4, 2012)

mywaynow said:


> Farmers used the tree as a natural hedge, thus the term hedgewood is used. The fruit was mashed and thinned out with water. Trenches were dug in the fields and the "soup" was poured into the trench and covered. It would only take a couple years and the hedge with all its' stickers would keep the cattle or horses contained.


 

This is a fact


----------



## firefighterjake (Sep 5, 2012)

Until I became a member here I had never seen osage orange . . . I'm guessing they don't grow this far north.


----------



## 3fordasho (Sep 6, 2012)

My wife came home last week with 4 of the monkey balls from the local grocery. She told me to spread them around the basement to repel spiders....   Don't know if they'll work for that but maybe I'll mash them up and plant a few hedge rows....


----------



## Backwoods Savage (Sep 6, 2012)

That is interesting Tim. Please let us know if it works.


----------

