There are several Osage-orange trees on our farm. The tree is part of the mulberry family and has a lot of nicknames, but the one I’ve heard most often is hedge-apple. Native Americans often used the wood of this tree to make bows. The tree's fruit, sometimes known as "monkey-brain" fruit, is sticky and has a pleasant odor, but not edible by most animals. Squirrels sometimes dig into the heart for the seeds, horses love the fruit, and it’s been speculated it may have been a favorite of giant sloths (an extinct animal of North American - related to modern day slots - which reached more than five tons).
There are several Osage-orange trees on our farm. The tree is part of the mulberry family and has a lot of nicknames, but the one I’ve heard most often is hedge-apple. Native Americans often used the wood of this tree to make bows. The tree's fruit, sometimes known as "monkey-brain" fruit, is sticky and has a pleasant odor, but not edible by most animals. Squirrels sometimes dig into the heart for the seeds, horses love the fruit, and it’s been speculated it may have been a favorite of giant sloths (an extinct animal of North American - related to modern day slots - which reached more than five tons).
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The French encountered this tree and called it bois d'arc, bow wood, because the Osage tribe and others in its native Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri made bows from the wood. It is very strong, and flexible, ideal for bows. It is also hard and will dull chain saw chains quickly. It is sometimes called horse apple as well. The tree was spread around the US to make a living hedge, hence hedge-apple. When kept pruned and compact, the spiny stems are dense and quite effective as a fence. Not all trees produce the spines, at least not always.
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