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Osage Orange
Overview
The Osage orange is a deciduous tree whose qualities actually helped it expand from its original form. It is not an actual citrus tree and over the years acquired nicknames such as "hedge apple" and "bodark", the latter being a French slang term that refers to the Native Americans using the wood in their bows. Osage orange trees are available as landscaping species, with some genetically designed to lack some of the tree's more unpleasant features.
Identification
The Osage orange is a medium-sized tree, typically around 30 feet high, with spines on its branches and trunk. The dark green leaves are as long as 6 inches and taper to a point; they turn yellow in the fall. The trunk is short and the branches grow in such a manner that they frequently overlap. The gray to brown bark has deep furrows and ridges and the small green flowers develop around June, with male and female flowers on separate trees.
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History
The original geographic distribution of this tree encompassed southeastern parts of Oklahoma, a strip though East Texas and parts of Arkansas. However, the tree's thorny nature made it a perfect species to plant close together to form a barrier, long before the advent of barbed wire in the 1880s, according to the Great Plains Nature Center website. Farmers and ranchers would use the tree to build a "living fence," as it was nearly impenetrable to cattle, horses and other animals. The species gets its odd name from the fact that the Osage tribe resided near the tree's native range and the fruit has an aroma that reminds many people of an orange.
Fruit
The fruit of the Osage orange consists of a fleshy middle that has as many as 200 seeds surrounding it. The fruit has a stringy texture and looks like a yellow-green ball. The seeds have a slimy husk around them but are edible if you desire to take the trouble to remove the husk. Squirrels in particular make the effort, as they find these seeds delightful and will spend hours by an Osage orange, tearing into the fruit.
Osage Orange
Overview
The Osage orange is a deciduous tree whose qualities actually helped it expand from its original form. It is not an actual citrus tree and over the years acquired nicknames such as "hedge apple" and "bodark", the latter being a French slang term that refers to the Native Americans using the wood in their bows. Osage orange trees are available as landscaping species, with some genetically designed to lack some of the tree's more unpleasant features.
Identification
The Osage orange is a medium-sized tree, typically around 30 feet high, with spines on its branches and trunk. The dark green leaves are as long as 6 inches and taper to a point; they turn yellow in the fall. The trunk is short and the branches grow in such a manner that they frequently overlap. The gray to brown bark has deep furrows and ridges and the small green flowers develop around June, with male and female flowers on separate trees.
Landscapers Near You www.homeadvisor.com
Read Reviews & Get Quotes From Local Landscapers . Free Search!
Ads by Google
History
The original geographic distribution of this tree encompassed southeastern parts of Oklahoma, a strip though East Texas and parts of Arkansas. However, the tree's thorny nature made it a perfect species to plant close together to form a barrier, long before the advent of barbed wire in the 1880s, according to the Great Plains Nature Center website. Farmers and ranchers would use the tree to build a "living fence," as it was nearly impenetrable to cattle, horses and other animals. The species gets its odd name from the fact that the Osage tribe resided near the tree's native range and the fruit has an aroma that reminds many people of an orange.
Fruit
The fruit of the Osage orange consists of a fleshy middle that has as many as 200 seeds surrounding it. The fruit has a stringy texture and looks like a yellow-green ball. The seeds have a slimy husk around them but are edible if you desire to take the trouble to remove the husk. Squirrels in particular make the effort, as they find these seeds delightful and will spend hours by an Osage orange, tearing into the fruit.