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. Questions abound. What are they? Where do they come from? Are they good for anything?
The Tree
The yellow-green fruit are commonly called "hedge apples." They are produced by the Osage-orange (Maclura pomifera). Other common plant names include hedge apple, bodark, bois d'arc, and bowwood.
The Osage-orange is a small- to medium-sized tree. It commonly grows 30 to 40 feet tall, occasionally as tall as 50 to 60 feet. It typically has a short trunk and a rounded or irregular crown. The leaves of the Osage-orange are a shiny medium to dark green. They turn yellow in the fall. The twigs are buff to orange-brown and are armed with 1/2-inch long spines. The stems exude a milky sap when cut.
The Osage-orange is dioecious. Male and female flowers are produced on separate trees. The small, green flowers appear in May or June. The female trees produce 3- to 5- inch-diameter fruit which ripen in September or October and fall to the ground. The "hedge apple" is an aggregate fruit composed of numerous one-seeded druplets. The Osage-orange is a member of the Mulberry or Moraceae Family. Other cultivated members of this family include the mulberry and fig.
Native Habitat and Current Distribution
The Osage-orange is native to a small area in eastern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma, and southwestern Arkansas. This region was also the home of the Osage Indians, hence the common name of Osage-orange. White settlers moving into the region found that the Osage-orange possessed several admirable qualities. It is a tough and durable tree, transplants easily, and tolerates poor soils, extreme heat, and strong winds. It also has no serious insect or disease problems. During the mid-nineteenth century, it was widely planted by midwest farmers, including those in southern Iowa, as a living fence. When pruned into a hedge, it provided an impenetrable barrier to livestock. The widespread planting of Osage-orange stopped with the introduction of barbed wire. Many of the original hedges have since been destroyed or died. However, some of the original trees can still be found in fence rows in southern Iowa. Trees have also become naturalized in pastures and ravines in southern areas of the state.
Uses of the Osage-Orange Tree
The wood of the Osage-orange is golden yellow or bright orange when first cut but turns brown on exposure. The wood is extremely hard, heavy, tough, and durable. It also shrinks or swells very little compared to the wood of other trees. The wood is used for fence posts, insulator pins, treenails, furniture, and archery bows. In fact, many archers consider the wood of the Osage-orange to be the world's finest wood for bows. (The name bodark is from the French bois d'arc means "bow wood.") Also, a bright yellow dye can be extracted from the wood.
While the Osage-orange is hardy in southern Iowa (USDA Hardiness Zone 5), it is not a suitable tree for the home landscape because of its large fruit and sharp thorns. Attempts have been made by horticulturists to identify and select male, thornless cultivars. Unfortunately, no cultivar has proven to be completely thornless. Until a true thornless cultivar is found, the Osage-orange is probably best suited for wildlife plantings in rural areas.
The Hedge Apple
It is the fruit of the Osage-orange tree that most individuals find intriguing. With a size and density similar to a softball, in the hands of a child, the fruit can become dangerous weapons. Their size make them a nuisance in the home landscape. Hedge apples are not an important source of food for wildlife as most birds and animals find the fruit unpalatable. (However, the thorny trees do provide nesting and cover for wildlife.)
Uses of the Hedge Apple
Hedge apples are often found for sale in farmer's markets, and even grocery stores. They are not palatable but their unique appearance and color are attractive for use in autumn home décor.
The use of hedge apples for insect control is one of the most enduring pest management home remedies (and myths!). Placement of hedge apples around the foundation or inside the basement is claimed to provide relief from cockroaches, spiders, boxelder bugs, crickets, and other pests.
The use of hedge apples as a pest solution is communicated as a folk tale complete with testimonials about apparent success. However, there is an absence of scientific research and therefore no valid evidence to confirm the claims of effectiveness. Research conducted at Iowa State University has demonstrated that chemicals extracted from the fruit can be repellant to tested insects (German cockroaches, mosquitoes, and houseflies). In addition, sliced hedge apples placed in enclosed, small spaces did repel insects. However, there is still no evidence that putting whole fruit around the house or in the basement will have any effect on insect pests. In large or open spaces there is so much air movement that whatever small amount of repellant chemical may be present will quickly dissipate. In addition, the chemicals may not be repellant to all insects or to non-insects like spiders, millipedes, and centipedes. It is not recommended to use hedge apples for pest control.
Learn more in this article: Hedge Apples: Pest Control Myth
Dermatitis
The milky juice present in the stems and fruit of the Osage-orange may cause irritation to the skin. While the fruit have been suspected of being poisonous to livestock, studies conducted in several states have been negative. However, the fruit may cause death in ruminants by lodging in the esophagus and preventing eructation or release of ruminal gases.
More Information
- Fall Garden Tasks
- Shade Trees for Iowa
Photo credits: 1: Lenny/AdobeStock; 2: mylasa/AdobeStck; 3: jerzy/AdobeStock; 4: mayabuns/AdobeStock