Story Teller's Corner

Osage Orange Tree

The Osage orange tree, commonly called the hedge tree, produces inedible hedge apples as its fruit. The only creatures that seem to like this fruit are squirrels. The seeds inside could be eaten by humans, but is seldom worth the trouble. The harsh, green outer coating is difficult to remove. When you try to remove it, a milky substance can get on you and sometimes produce an allergic reaction. If that is not enough to deter your efforts, the tree produces big thorns on its branches.

The only person I have known who used these hedge balls was my grandmother. At Christmas for several years, she gathered them, spray painted them silver and gold, and placed them under the Christmas tree for decoration. Surprisingly, today  they can be purchased over the Internet to use for decorating. I guess my grandmother was ahead of her time when she got the idea to spray paint them.

The true use for the hedge tree is its wood. It was prized by the Osage tribe because of its hardness. They utilized the wood for their bows making them strong. Hedge was often planted around the perimeters of farms as a barrier. It kept cattle, chickens, and hogs inside the area enclosed. Hedge rows dot the countryside across America. The wood is so hard it is still used as fence posts today.