?about Osage orange fruits

[Use Less]

Hope it's OK to put this in this category. I picked up 2 shopping bags of what my Dad calls "monkey balls", the green/pale yellow fruits off Osage Orange trees. They have put them in a big bowl as a decoration, and I have heard they are good against something. Moths, fleas, rodents? If you know what traditionally they are supposed to repel, could you let me know? How do I use them, and is there a way to keep them from going mushy? Mom may have dipped some in shellac a long time ago, but I don't remember if it worked. Certainly they wouldn't be a repellent any more. Thanks. Sue

[Darren]

The osage orange fruits reportedly cause roaches to leave.

[cc-rider]

I thought it was spiders and/or mice. I remember my grandmother setting them on the window sills. I don't think she preserved them in any way. Just pitched them if they got bad (but I don't remember them going bad). I was pretty young....

[cc-rider]

Ah! Found it! Insects and spiders. Found this interesting....

Hedgeapple 101
Hedgeapples are not poisonous. However, Hedgeapples have suffocated livestock by lodging in their esophagus.
Very often, a Hedgeapple is incorrectly referred to as a Hedge Ball, Horse Apple, Green Brains, Monkey Balls or Mock Orange. In Texas, they call them Horse Apples, in fact they write poems about them (click here for the poem). Thank you Nancy for letting us post it.
The hedge tree has several names, Osage Orange (most popular) and Bodark (French) and Maclura pomifera (scientific name). Naturalist, Jim Mason has posted a very professional page about Osage Orange.
The Osage Orange is native to a limited area centered on the Red River valley in southern Oklahoma and northern Texas.
Strangely the oldest and biggest Osage Orange tree is in Virginia. Why isn't it in its native states? I challenge the people of Oklahoma and Texas to find an older and bigger Osage Orange tree and take your rightful place.
Not all of the Osage Orange trees will have fruit because hedge trees are either male or female.
Osage Orange is a cousin to the mulberry tree.
It is rumored that During WWII GI's were fed hedgeapples due to food shortages. If anyone knows the details on this, please email or put in the guestbook.
Hedge Wood has several top characteristics:
Has highest strength for primitive bows used in archery. For more information see Mike Easter's Osage Orange page. He is as devoted to Osage Orange tree as I am.
Highest in rot resistance without additives.
Dried hedge is highest in BTU's when used as firewood. Hedge wood is the closest to a piece of coal as you can get. Check this link out to see which dried wood has the most BTU's. Mr. Hedgeapple is No. 1 here too!
Green Hedge puts on the most spectacular light show when burned in a fireplace. Occasionally, I would put some green hedge in our fireplace and watch the fireworks. It emits sparkles constantly and some can go over a yard in distant. There are never large pops, just a constant blevy of very small sparks that would go through the fireplace screen. They were not large enough to mark clothes or carpet when they land. It is not recommend to use green hedge as firewood unless in a sealed stove. However, dried hedge is much more quiet, safer, and has more BTU's than any other dried wood. As with all woods, you still should use a protective screen or shield between the fireplace and the room.
Could Hedge wood be the best for making string musical instruments?
Gary Woodall thinks it might be. Check out his instruments (Guitar, Mandolin) Move over famed violin maker, Antonio Stradivari, Gary is here!!
There is an person in Americus, Ks who makes Harps from Osage Orange because he believes it is the most dimensionally stable of all woods when aged and placed under strain.
Hedge wood is an attractive yellow wood. Check the pens by Mimosa Custom Pens.

[Farmerwilly2]

We put them in empty pot pie pans in the basement corners to keep the spiders away. As kids we also chucked the nice soft ones at one another---excellent splatter factor, a lot like the puffball 'schrooms.

[braggscowboy]

The Osage Orange is found in lots of places in Eastern Oklahoma. Planted by the CCC and WPA. I think many that were planted as seedlings to be planted in other places for wind breaks, such as Kansas and where needed after the dust bowl. I live in an area where there are rows and rows of them and also there are a great many Catapua trees that were also planted by the CCC. Deer and squirrls love them. They work for a pretty good fence when planted thick. Some people slice and dry them and use as decoration. Lots of uses for them. Lots of sap or glue substance in them early in the growth of them.

[bjba]

Here in Texas the Osage Orange is called the Bois D'Arc tree. There are stories that at one time you could not get a home loan unless the homes foundation was Bois D'Arc. Growing up I was involved in many wars and the ammunition of choice was "hedgeapples".

[Old Vet]

I doubt that they repel anything. I have them all around my house and have seen spiders web in the trees I have seen rats eating them I have seen almost all animals try to eat them even my dog. But if you want to collect the fruit you can have any that you can find. They will disappear in less than a month around here if left alone.

[Tricky Grama]

Originally Posted by Old Vet

I doubt that they repel anything. I have them all around my house and have seen spiders web in the trees I have seen rats eating them I have seen almost all animals try to eat them even my dog. But if you want to collect the fruit you can have any that you can find. They will disappear in less than a month around here if left alone.

We have hundreds of trees and therefore thousands of the 'horse apples'. Read that they repel roaches so put a bunch in the corner of the garage on year. Later there was a bunch of roaches under them...
I name 'em on our land. Even started a thread yrs ago for names.
Have a huge old tree-we call it 'Bois Daddy'. Next biggest is 'Bois Mamma'. Prettiest one is Bois Derek. Have Little Bois Peep, Little Bois Blue, Bois Diddly, Broken Bois...

Patty

[CarrieAnne]

I always thought they were for spiders! I live in WI, and a few monthes ago, the local piggly Wiggly had a big bowl of them, for $.99 cents each!!!!!!!!!! I think they are kind of neat looking, but not for a buck a piece, LOL!

[solidwoods]

Firewood?
Search the price of Osage Orange lumber.
jim