The Osage Orange tree (species "Maclura pomifera) is a small to medium size tree native to the United States. It is sometimes also called the Osage Apple, Hedge Apple or Wild Orange. The fruit of this tree as you can see from the pictures is about the size of a large orange although the color is more of a greenish yellow. The surface of the fruit has a sort of brain like appearance and is covered with fine, strangly hairs (see image below).
In contrast to what its name seems to indicate thefruit of the Osage Orange is not edible. Upon cutting one open I found that the inside was quite sappy and full of seeds similar to citris seeds as can be appreciated in the image below. The inside of the fruit is quite dense and its smell is not at all appealing.
The leaves are simple in shape and dark, glossy green in color. At the base of the leaf stem there are short, sharp thorns which is possibly why this species has been used as a cattle or protetion hedge in the past. Being from the Mulberry family the leaves of this tree are a source of food for silk worms.
When this tree is allowed to grow straight (not the case when it is grown as a hedge) it produces a quality wood that is hard and rot resistant. It has been used for making bows as well as for tool handles and fence posts.
(information taken from "Árboles Madrileños" by Antonio López Lillo and Antonio López Santalla, 2007 Obra Social Caja Madrid)Check out an Osage Orange tree by the Eiffel Tower in Paris!
Oh, that's my favorite. As kids we called them monkey balls, and they made GREAT weapons when hurled.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the memories!
A popular legend is that the fruit of these trees will repel spiders. From what I have read there may be some truth in these claims.
ReplyDeleteCraig
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteIt's glad to find your blog. ^_^
Would you please help? Do you know the name of this tree? Are the fruits edible? The photo is here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/89533047@N00/2862687643/
Thank you!!
Rita
The hedge apples will repel spiders! Throw a few under a porch or under the house (dirt floors). If you want to use them in the house just one per room will do but be sure to place these on a piece of aluminum foil as they will leave a brown spot. I wouldn't let any housepets get them, though.
ReplyDeletethere's this bird migration phenomena down the street from my office, sort of a dead end bordering a woodsy area bordering a train and busway in the midst of the city. I spoke to a resident and he said every year for about two weeks, they stop here. There are thousands around the end of the work day and I noticed a number of osage trees. I researched to try and correlate, but it appears they're not liked by birds or man, so I thought from the information, maybe the silk worms provide food that attracts them? This is in Pittsburgh, PA...are there silk worms here, or just tent worms?
ReplyDeleteThe fruit balls pack quite a bit of weight when falling from a distance above the house or an individual. The balls have destroyed plant pots on my porch and barely missed several people, including me, while walking into the house. It is now late August and in another month or so, they start pounding the rooftop of my home. I have found them to be very menacing.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone else feel the same regarding the menacing fruit balls?
ReplyDeleteIn Las Cruces I saw trees with this kind of "fruit," but they were much smaller, and the leaves looked like...maybe a 3-fingered maple leaf? Anybody know what it might be?
ReplyDeleteThe tree you are describing sounds like a sycamore
DeleteKathyKtchr - You might have seen a London Plane tree?
ReplyDeletewill it still repel spiders if it is cut open and place in the room?....
ReplyDeleteI don't think you'd want it cut open inside, due to the smell.
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