Osage Oranges

[colowyo0809]

Anyone in CO know where I can get Osage Oranges? OO's are also known as *takes a deep breath* hedge, hedge-apple, bodark, bois-d'arc, bowwood, naranjo chino, mock apple, mock orange, brain fruit. settlers/pioneers used them as living hedges, and I'd like to do the same since we will have to replace various fences in several years and this way it will cut down on expenses. May be a bit time consuming, but really, what worth having isn't?

Thanks!

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Too bad you aren't closer to me. We have tons of them.

I wonder how effective they were for the pioneers? My goats LOVE them as browse, and they are very thorny. I looked all that up though since we have so many. Too bad the fruit doesn't seem useful for anything but making a mess. Good luck anyway.

 

[colowyo0809]

Thanks!

I may just have to order from a catalog, although I was hoping not to

 

[Wildsky]

I had to google them, never seen or heard of them before!

 

[Javamama]

We also call them spider ball trees. I guess the fruits are supposed to repel spiders. Mom used to put them in the corners of the house. I think the wood is supposed to make excellent fence posts that last for a very long time. I don't know how well they would do as a living hedge.

 

[journey11]

Every once in awhile, I'll come across one around here. They used to be very common, but not anymore...wonder if there's some disease or something knocking them out?

I think the fruit make a neat fall decoration. You can cut them into circle slices and dry them too, use them in crafts.

 

[colowyo0809]

apparantly they make rather good living fences. and yeah, I've read that they make really good fence posts due to their immunity to termites and rather prolonged disease and rot resistance. You can also grow them as trees instead of as a hedge/fence and I think this is what people make the fence posts out of, as well as bows. I could be mistaken though.

 

[Farmfresh]

Interesting fact about the Osage Orange... there are male trees and female trees! Male trees are best. They are taller with less spread and do not produce the fruit which gets really messy.

Osage Oranges have an orange wood that makes great fence posts and wood that is very moisture proof. The trees also are covered with thorns that are small and sharp.

My sister has lots of them. If you wanted to start your own I am sure she would be able to get you seed.

 

[~gd]

Too bad you aren't closer to me. We have tons of them.

I wonder how effective they were for the pioneers? My goats LOVE them as browse, and they are very thorny. I looked all that up though since we have so many. Too bad the fruit doesn't seem useful for anything but making a mess. Good luck anyway.

Try making a natural dye out the fruit. not the best color in the world but it will not wash out of a natural fiber.

 

[colowyo0809]

Interesting fact about the Osage Orange... there are male trees and female trees! Male trees are best. They are taller with less spread and do not produce the fruit which gets really messy.

Osage Oranges have an orange wood that makes great fence posts and wood that is very moisture proof. The trees also are covered with thorns that are small and sharp.

My sister has lots of them. If you wanted to start your own I am sure she would be able to get you seed.

honestly? i might just take you up on that!