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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

The Mighty Hedge Apple

Osage Orange (hedgeapple) Maclura pomifera: Other Common Names: Bois
D Arc, Hedge Apple, Bodark Arrow Wood Tree, Orange, Osage, Osage
Orange, Osage-orange, Osageorange,

It was used in the olden days for fencing before barbed wire was
invented. And by native americans to make the finest of bows. (See
OHG files for how to make your own bows and arrows).

It's scaly bark of the trunk furnishes tannin for making leather.

The wood particles can be used in making yellow and gold dye: the
fruits are used used to repel homestead spiders and other pests, and
boiled root decoction was once used to bathe irritated eyes. It's
seed are a valuable trading item tho tedious to remove from the
fruit. It's seed can be used to make necklaces.

Pollinating insects visits its flowers. The pollen-bearing and seed-
bearing flowers are borne upon seperate trees so plant two or more of
them making sure the seed come from different shrubs.

It's wood seldom is attacked by insects of any kind and can be soaked
sun-tea fashion for 3 or 4 days them the liquid used in organic
garden sprays.

Provides fruit for wildlife through winter in the bountiful fruits
they drop containing seeds local squirrels love. This is one tree
that ought to be planted much more often than simply be wild sown.

It's also one of the best woods for home heating, having one of the
highest b.t.u. outputs of all trees and shrubs. One cord of it has
the same heat value as around 200 gallons of heating oil. Hedge apple
is easy to propagate from cuttings so mass plantings for future wood
heat is economical if you have the room to plant it.

It is a hard wood and has a beautiful orange grain and is as hard to
drive a nail into when dry as oak. Great for buildings for bugs leave
that wood alone.

Osage Orange also has medicinl benefits.



--
Bevanron of EarthNSky Farm   Sleep well tonight, for somewhere in the 
ocean's depths, MY son is protecting YOUR freedom.