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Habitat
- Native Range. The natural range of Osage-orange is in the Red River drainage of Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas; and in the Blackland Prairies, Post Oak Savannas, and Chisos Mountains of ...
- Climate. ...
- Solis and Topography. ...
- Associated Forest Cover. ...
How to grow an Osage orange from a seed?
How to Grow an Osage Orange From a Seed Harvest Osage oranges any time after the ripe fruit drops onto the ground and before the temperature begins to warm in late winter. Place the Osage orange in a cool, moist spot until the fruit rots, unless the fruit is already rotted from lying on the ground. Remove the seeds from the pulp.
How long does it take an Osage orange tree to produce fruit?
The female Osage orange tree generally begins bearing fruit at about 10 years of age. The bumpy, yellow-greenish fruits, known as hedge-apples, ripen in September through October.
How hard is Osage orange wood?
Osage orange is exceptionally hard and strong. The bending strength (MOR) is over 20,000 psi (50 percent more than red oak). Stiffness (MOE) averages 1.8 million psi (roughly equal to red oak). The high density means excellent nail and screw holding as well.
Do Osage oranges have other names?
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. It commonly grows 30 to 40 feet tall, occasionally as tall as 50 to 60 feet. It typically has a short trunk and a rounded or irregular crown.
Where does Osage orange trees grow?
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION : Osage-orange is native to a narrow belt in eastern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma, southwestern Arkansas, and the extreme northwest corner of Louisiana. This belt includes portions of the Blackland Prairies, Chiso Mountains, and the Red River drainage [4].
What does an Osage orange taste like?
Osage oranges have a green, bitter flavor with mild notes of cucumber and a fruity, citrus-like aroma. The flavor is generally unpleasant, unpalatable, and some may feel ill after ingesting the bitter fruit, causing many to deem it inedible.
Can you burn Osage orange 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.
What is Osage orange tree good for?
Prior to the invention of barbed wire, these thorny trees were planted as natural fencing for cattle deterrents. In the Midwest, the Osage orange is often called hedge apple. Osage orange wood is very durable and is still used for making fence posts.
Can you burn Osage orange fruit?
And finally, the Osage orange wood burns hotter than any other wood, and is the closest thing to coal when it comes to heat production from a tree. And just for some fun, burning Osage orange wood produces its own kind of fireworks — sparks fly when the dense wood splinters as it burns.
Do Osage oranges keep spiders away?
Researchers found that the Osage orange failed to repel spiders but did repel some cockroaches and mosquitoes. The repellent properties came from compounds inside the fruit, however, and were ineffective when the fruit remained whole.
Is Osage orange poisonous to humans?
However, a 2015 study indicated that Osage orange seeds are not effectively spread by extant horse or elephant species. The fruit is not poisonous to humans or livestock, but is not preferred by them, because it is mostly inedible due to a large size (about the diameter of a softball) and hard, dry texture.
Are hedge apples good for anything?
The oils in hedge apples are well known for repelling pests such as spiders and mice. And the good news is, using hedge apples to repel these pests couldn't be easier!
How much does a cord of Osage orange weigh?
TABLE 1. Firewood Facts (Sorry for any gaps in the data)SpeciesWeight (lbs./ Cord) GreenWeight (lbs./ Cord) DryOak, Red48883528Oak, White55734200Osage-orange51204728Pine, Lodgepole261042 more rows
Are Osage apples edible?
In all fairness, not all of the fruit is edible. Only the seeds are. In fact, the Osage Orange it is closely related to the Mulberries, which we do eat, and the Paper Mulberry which also has an edible fruit. But, 99.999999% of the Internet sites says it is not edible.
Do any animals eat Osage oranges?
Osage orange fruit is inedible. Even squirrels and other animals, including birds won't eat the fruit. But the seeds are edible and squirrels and other small mammals, bobwhite and other birds tear into the fruit to get the seeds. Osage orange fences, living fences, are gone now, replaced by barbed wire.
Do deer like Osage orange trees?
As you can see in the following pictures, the older males do feed on Osage Oranges, and they eat them with relish! This spot was visited frequently by several big males. Each time through they seemed to be motivated to partake of an Osage Orange, but they never ate many at one setting.
Is Osage orange poisonous to humans?
However, a 2015 study indicated that Osage orange seeds are not effectively spread by extant horse or elephant species. The fruit is not poisonous to humans or livestock, but is not preferred by them, because it is mostly inedible due to a large size (about the diameter of a softball) and hard, dry texture.
What is the rarest orange fruit?
Honeybell orangeThey are willing to take this gamble because the Honeybell is widely regarded as the tastiest and juiciest orange on the face of the earth. It is also the rarest and the hardest to find. With an average circumference of 9 inches, the Honeybell orange is larger than most other orange varieties.
What animal eats Osage orange?
Osage orange fruit is inedible. Even squirrels and other animals, including birds won't eat the fruit. But the seeds are edible and squirrels and other small mammals, bobwhite and other birds tear into the fruit to get the seeds. Osage orange fences, living fences, are gone now, replaced by barbed wire.
Are hedge apples poisonous to humans?
Squirrels and chipmunks love hedge apples; humans do not, but they're not poisonous.
Why are orange trees important?
Osage orange trees and their fruits are most certainly ecologically important, environmentally welcomed, sustainable, used in agriculture and industry alike, bought and sold and generally fun for all.
Why did Roosevelt plant an orange tree?
Roosevelt used Osage orange as one of the primary trees planted as windbreaks in the Works Progress Administration project to modify weather and prevent soil erosion in the Great Plains. By 1942, more than 200 million of these trees stretched over 18,000 miles. Prior to the invention of barbed wire, these thorny trees were planted as natural fencing for cattle deterrents. In the Midwest, the Osage orange is often called hedge apple.
Is an orange gangly?
Over the years I've heard many gardeners, local farmers and landscapers say that the Osage orange ( Maclura pomifera) is a useless thorny, gangly tree. I agree that the tree is thorny, somewhat gangly, and produces what most people think are inedible fruits that are not fit for man or beast! These fruits are more popularly known as "monkey balls" in Pennsylvania.
Where do osage orange trees grow?
Unfortunately, the wood's extraordinary ability to resist rot also put the tree in great demand, causing the huge native stands of Osage orange growing in the bottomlands of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas to be harvested wholesale for use as fence posts and railroad ties. Osage orange might have ended up being a very rare sight for most Americans were it not for its suitability as a hedge. The plant met all of the qualifications: It was "horse-high, bull-strong and pig-tight." The tree was easily propagated from seed, and grew fast. In a few years, it would form a hedge almost tight enough to hold water. Any spaces between the trees would be screened by the Osage's thick, thorny branches. And since the trees propagate by sending up shoots from their roots, all the holes would eventually fill in with new trees.
Where were osage hedges planted?
As a result, thousands of miles of Osage hedges were planted in the Midwest, East and South, far beyond the original range of the species.
Why are osage trees important?
Crafts people — woodworkers and those who make and use natural dyes — hold the Osage orange in high esteem. And, perhaps most important, the trees serve as windbreaks and as badly needed cover for wildlife.
What do farmers use orange trees for?
Some farmers still utilize them as natural enclosures, and many more use the trees for making exceptionally long-lasting fence posts. Crafts people — woodworkers and those who make and use natural dyes — hold the Osage orange in high esteem.
How tall is an orange tree?
When mature, the Osage orange measures from 10 to 50 feet tall and has a trunk 1 to 2 feet in diameter. Its branches form an even, round crown, unless the trees are growing closely together in a hedge and don't have room to spread naturally.
What is an orange fence?
A fence made with Osage orange is basically a "fence that builds itself"!
What are the characteristics of an orange tree?
Other distinguishing characteristics of the Osage orange include deeply furrowed, braidedlooking, dark orange bark; long (3- to 5-inch), shiny, egg-shaped, dark green leaves, which are pointed at one end; and (perhaps most significantly) many sharp, steel strong thorns that make this tree a formidable barrier, to say the least .
What were the uses of the orange tree?
The ridged and scaly bark of the trunk provided both a fiber for rope and tannin for making leather. Root tea was used to wash sore eyes and the roots and inner bark were used to make a light orange dye.
What is the name of the tree that Meriwether Lewis called?
The tree and fruit that Meriwether Lewis would call the Osage Plum or Apple when he wrote back to President Jefferson in March 1804, is today known as the Osage orange (Maclura pomifera). But most people now know the large, lumpy fruit as a “hedge apple.”
Where is the Osage Orange native to?
Natural range of M. pomifera in pre-Columbian era America. Osage orange's pre-Columbian range was largely restricted to a small area in what is now the United States, namely the Red River drainage of Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas, as well as the Blackland Prairies and post oak savannas.
How tall is an orange tree?
Maclura pomifera, commonly known as the Osage orange, horse apple, hedge, or hedge apple tree is a small deciduous tree or large shrub, typically growing to 8 to 15 metres (30–50 ft) tall. The distinctive fruit, a multiple fruit, is roughly spherical, bumpy, 8 to 15 centimetres (3–6 in) in diameter, and turns bright yellow-green in the fall.
What was the name of the tree that was planted in the garden of Pierre Chouteau?
In 1810, Bradbury relates that he found two Maclura pomifera trees growing in the garden of Pierre Chouteau, one of the first settlers of Saint Louis, apparently the same person. American settlers used the Osage orange (i.e. "hedge apple") as a hedge to exclude free-range livestock from vegetable gardens and corn fields.
What is the meaning of the name "osage"?
The genus Maclura is named in honor of William Maclure (1763–1840), a Scottish-born American geologist. The specific epithet pomifera means "fruit-bearing". The common name Osage derives from Osage Native Americans from whom young plants were first obtained, as told in the notes of Meriwether Lewis in 1804.
What is yellow orange wood used for?
The heavy, close-grained yellow-orange wood is dense and prized for tool handles, treenails, fence posts, and other applications requiring a strong, dimensionally stable wood that withstands rot. Although its wood is commonly knotty and twisted, straight-grained Osage orange timber makes good bows, as used by Native Americans. John Bradbury, a Scottish botanist who had traveled the interior United States extensively in the early 19th century, reported that a bow made of Osage timber could be traded for a horse and a blanket. Additionally, a yellow-orange dye can be extracted from the wood, which can be used as a substitute for fustic and aniline dyes. At present, florists use the fruits of M. pomifera for decorative purposes.
Why are Bodark trees called Bodarc trees?
Meriwether Lewis was told that the people of the Osage Nation, "So much … esteem the wood of this tree for the purpose of making their bows, that they travel many hundreds of miles in quest of it." The trees are also known as "bodark," "bodarc," or "bodock" trees, most likely originating as a transliteration or corruption of " bois d'arc. "
How long are the leaves of a sage?
In form they are simple, a long oval terminating in a slender point. The leaves are 8 to 13 centimetres (3– 5 in) long and 5 to 8 centimetres (2–3 in) wide, and are thick, firm, dark green, shining above, and paler green below when full grown. In autumn they turn bright yellow. The leaf axils contain formidable spines which when mature are about 2.5 centimetres (1 in) long.
What is osage orange used for?
Common Uses: Fence posts, dye, archery bows, musical instruments, turnings, and other small specialty wood items. Comments: Osage Orange has a relatively low modulus of elasticity compared to its weight and modulus of rupture which helps explain why it is sometimes used for archery bows.
What is the wood of Argentine orange?
Commonly, the wood of a related South-American species— Maclura tinctoria —is imported as Argentine Osage Orange. This imported wood has the advantage of being available in larger sizes, with boards having less knots and defects than the smaller domestic species, Maclura pomifera.
Is orange wood rot resistant?
Rot Resistance: Osage Orange is extremely durable and is considered to be one of the most decay resistant woods in North America.
Does osage orange turn water yellow?
One helpful characteristic that can help separate it from lookalikes such as Mulberry or Black Locust (besides being heavier) is that Osage Orange contains a water-soluble yellow dye, so putting shavings into water will turn the water yellow.
