Fall Leaves
Hedgeapple trees, also known as Osage Orange, don’t have very flashy fall foliage. But it’s pretty when you get close up.
I’ve always thought of trees as being very forward-thinking. As this years leaves fall to the ground, trees have already formed next years’s leaves neatly packaged in sturdy little buds.
To a tree, spring is just around the corner.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ W ~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Pretty pictures of such an overlooked tree for fall foliage!I have always wondered if hedgeapples have some purpose…..
Are there animals that eat them, or do people cook them in some way? Are they good for the environment? LOL!
No animals today eat them, but scientists think they were probably eaten by some now extinct animals. Squirrels eat the seeds buried inside the fruit though.
My husband turned a block of Hedgeapple wood on a lathe. The bowl was a bright yellow with wonderful grain. It is about 20 years old now, and the patina in a beautiful golden tone.
It is a beautiful wood. Not sure why it is not used more in woodworking. It is very rot resistant and is used a lot for fenceposts.
The fruit of the Osage Orange repels insects. I put them in the corners of the rooms and near doors. I have heard they were looking into the extract of the fruit to repel mosquitoes.