Hedge apple uses6/11/2023 ![]() ![]() White settlers moving into the region found that the Osage-orange possessed several admirable qualities. ![]() This region was also the home of the Osage Indians, hence the common name of Osage-orange. The Osage-orange is native to a small area in eastern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma, and southwestern Arkansas. Other cultivated members of this family include the mulberry and fig. The Osage-orange is a member of the Mulberry or Moraceae Family. The "hedge apple" is an aggregate fruit composed of numerous one-seeded druplets. The female trees produce 3- to 5- inch-diameter fruit which ripen in September or October and fall to the ground. The small, green flowers appear in May or June. Male and female flowers are produced on separate trees. The twigs are buff to orange-brown and are armed with 1/2-inch long spines. The leaves of the Osage-orange are a shiny medium to dark green. It typically has a short trunk and a rounded or irregular crown. It commonly grows 30 to 40 feet tall, occasionally as tall as 50 to 60 feet. The Osage-orange is a small- to medium-sized tree. Other common plant names include hedge apple, bodark, bois d'arc, and bowwood. The yellow-green fruit are commonly called "hedge apples." They are produced by the Osage-orange ( Maclura pomifera). ![]() What are they? Where do they come from? Are they good for anything? The Tree and Its Fruit While many Iowans have undoubtedly seen the yellow-green, grapefruit-sized fruit at farmer's markets, supermarkets, garden centers, and other locations, few individuals know much about these rather unusual fruits. ![]()
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