Is hedge apple and Osage orange the same thing?
The fruits of the Osage orange tree, somewhat confusingly known as hedge apples, are softball-sized and unpalatable to most animals. But the tree has had an outsize impact on U.S. history. When the fruits of the Osage orange tree fall to the ground in autumn, they demand notice.
What is the real name for hedge apples?
Maclura pomifera
Hedge Apple, Maclura pomifera, is also called Osage Orange, hedge, and an assortment of other names. This small tree grows up to 30-40 feet tall and wide.
What is a hedge apple good for?
Hedge apples have historically been used as a way to fence in and control livestock (hence the name “hedge apple”). Hedge apple wood is useful for the production of items including tree nails, tool handles, electrical insulators and fence posts.
Are hedge apples edible?
Hedge apples, also known as osage oranges, are generally considered inedible. This is largely due to the unpalatable taste of its fruit despite its orange-like smell. However, hedge apples are non-poisonous. And those who can look past the hedge apple’s bumpy, ugly exterior, eat its seeds.
What’s another name for Osage orange?
bowwood
Osage orange, (Maclura pomifera), also called bowwood, French bois d’arc, thorny tree or shrub native to the south-central United States, the only species of its genus in the family Moraceae.
What is Osage orange good for?
Uses of Osage Orange Timber Osage Orange timber is extremely durable and is considered to be one of the most decay resistant woods in North America, sometimes being used for railway ties and fence posts. It’s also a very strong wood, and highly prized for making archery bows.
Why is it called Osage orange?
Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera) derived its common name from the Osage Indians in Oklahoma and Texas and the orange-smelling fruits. The Latin name comes from William Maclura, an American geologist (1763-1840), and from the grapefruit-size, heavily wrinkled, spherical pomes or apples (inedible for humans) it produces.
What is Osage orange wood worth?
Osage Orange Gallery
| Description | Price |
|---|---|
| Osage Orange 4/4 thickness | $4.00 |
| Osage Orange 8/4 thickness | $5.00 |
What is hedge wood?
Osage orange firewood, also known as hedge, horse apple or bodark, is one of the best firewood types available. This oddly shaped tree does not grow very tall (roughly 26-49 feet) but its wood is extremely dense making it a great firewood choice.
Is Osage orange wood valuable?
The French settlers found the Osage orange to also be a valuable resource for wood, and they used it a lot because of its durability and strength. They used the wood for everything from their covered wagons to wagon wheels, as it could bear a heavy load.
Are hedge apples related to Osage oranges?
There is an Osage Orange tree at a farm in Alexandria, Virginia that is thought to have been a gift from Thomas Jefferson. This brings us to hedge apples, which is a common name given to the fruit of the Osage Orange.
What is the common name for an Osage orange?
They are produced by the Osage-orange ( Maclura pomifera ). Other common plant names include hedge apple, bodark, bois d’arc, and bowwood. The Osage-orange is a small- to medium-sized tree.
What is a hedge apple?
The “hedge apple” is the yellow-green, softball-sized fruit of the Osage-orange ( Maclura pomifera ). The Osage-orange is a small- to medium-sized tree. It commonly grows 25 to 30 feet tall. The Osage-orange is dioecious. Dioecious plants produce male and female flowers on separate plants.
When do Osage orange trees produce fruit?
The small, green flowers appear in May or June. The female trees produce 3- to 5- inch-diameter fruit which ripen in September or October and fall to the ground. The “hedge apple” is an aggregate fruit composed of numerous one-seeded druplets. The Osage-orange is a member of the Mulberry or Moraceae Family.