I have been making wooden utensils from Osage for 15 years. When dried, Maclura pomifera, commonly referred to as Osage Orange or hedge-apple in the Midwestern region, has the highest BTU rating of any North American hardwood—Osage Orange actually burns about half as hot as coal! Though not easily, due to the somewhat irregular grain, the posts can be split, using wedges, and the split posts are at least as durable as posts of comparable size made from branches. Fence … It is well known for being the type of firewood that burns extremely hot. In addition, it was also used as windbreaks called shelterbelts that … In today's world, however, the wood … At one time, a Plains Indian brave would gladly trade a horse and blanket for a bow made of the wood. Comments: Osage Orange has a relatively low modulus of elasticity compared to its weight and modulus of rupture which helps explain why it … After the invention of barbed wire, the trees still found use as a source of unbeatable fence posts. How to install metal slides on wood cabinets. Gotta love the grain. Osage-orange (aka hedge-apple) is neither an orange nor an apple; rather, its fruits are like inflated, wrinkly mulberries, typical of its plant family, the Moraceae. Americanized, the term becomes bowdark. Its hard yellow-orange wood, formerly used for bows and war clubs by the Osage and other Native American tribes, is sometimes used for railway ties and fence posts. According to the "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette," this sap has been used as a glue and a lacquer. It provided the necessary means to divide land and contain livestock. Osage orange has a long and interesting history of use by both Native Americans and early pioneers. Because the wood of the Osage orange is strong, flexible and takes on a nice finish when polished, Native Americans used it for war clubs and bows. Did you know that Osage orange is the hardest wood grown in North … Osage orange, (Maclura pomifera), also called bowwood, French bois d’arc, thorny tree or shrub native to the south-central United States, the only species of its genus in the family Moraceae. Although Osage orange trees can be found throughout the Eastern states, they aren't native to our area. For more related content, subscribe to our newsletter! Osage orange was first cultivated in the south in the early 1800’s. The inedible fruits contain antioxidant and fungicidal compounds. Osage orange (scientific name: Maclura pomifera) is very dense firewood. Updates? The wood yields a yellow dye. Now, you may even find Osage orange growing in the eastern states and well into the Great Plains. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Then it retreated, perhaps ahead of advancing glaciers. Thousands of years later, because it was cultivated and planted by settlers as inexpensive fencing, it once again spread. Highly decay-resistant, it was even laid as paving blocks. Osage orange, (Maclura pomifera), also called bowwood, French bois d’arc, thorny tree or shrub native to the south-central United States, the only species of its genus in the family Moraceae. Because of Osage orange’s hardness and durability, it often was used for wagon wheels. My grandfather made many wagon tongues and single trees from hedge. The wood … If it looks like … Scrollsaw, Carving, and Decorative Projects, Hardness ratings help you choose the right species. Professional recommendations for Osage Orange It's the same as the one on the right with the bark on it, I just sanded off the wax applied long ago when fresh. The Osage Orange has been recorded to heights of over 60 feet and trunk diameters of 4 to 7 feet. As it grew the branches were intertwined to make the hedge almost impenetrable by animals as well as man. The wood is orange and strong. Native to Arkansas and the panhandle states, this tree has been widely planted elsewhere for street trees, windbreaks, and fence-rows (its thorny, densely suckering … No other wood played such an important part in the early movement west of the settlers as the Osage Orange. According to the "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette," the osage orange is used … The wood is used for fence posts, insulator pins, treenails, furniture, and archery bows. In fact in the native range the wood used to be used to make bows because of its strength and flexibility. Osage Orange can be identified from similar looking species due to the … Osage is the strongest, hardest, and longest lasting wood in North America. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. In today's world, however, the wood is scarce as lumber. Corrections? It is most commonly known as Osage orange, but other names include hedge, hedge-apple, yellow-wood, bowwood, Osage apple, and bodark (from the French bois d’arc, meaning bow wood). I did a lot of research on different woods to … It also shrinks or swells very little compared to the wood of other trees. Now they are considered a nuisance, because they have thorns, and the wood just doesn’t rot. If you ask locals — wood dealers in Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Oklahoma — about Osage orange, they’ll tell you the wood has had three main uses: wagon wheels, posts for hedge fences and bow staves. Bug Fighting. Although not quite the same as smoking, some use it as wood when they make apple butter on the stove top. Another common name for this tree, bodark, is from the French bios … According to the "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette," this sap has been used as a glue and a lacquer. The large yellow-green wrinkled fruit often grows to more than 13 cm (5 inches) in diameter and contains a milky sap that can produce dermatitis in humans. In addition to making fantastic firewood, Osage Orange got its other nickname, Hedge Apple, because it is widely planted and used as a wind break along fence rows, especially in … (As a kid with no money but a good deal of energy and a fair amount of ingenuity, I made a bow from the wood… Yet sanded smooth and oiled, Osage orange beats all others for cutting boards that will stand up to a blade. Common Uses: Fence pots, dye, … Osage orange (Maclura pomifora) is native to Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas but has naturalized throughout many other states. Harder and stronger than even white oak, Osage orange was once cut for railroad ties. They are mostly used for fence posts, and firewood. Although its wood is commonly knotty and twisted, straight-grained Osage orange timber makes good bows, as used by Native Americans. The heat produced from dry osage orange wood has qualities often compared to coal. April 18, 2009. The tree also serves as a windbreak. And many a Midwestern farm still has fence posts of the wood in place after a century. Hedge should only be used in a wood … The French settlers found the Osage orange to also be a valuable resource for wood, and they used it... Railroad ties and fences. According to the "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette," the osage orange is used as a natural insect repellent. A favorite hedgerow tree, it attains a height of approximately 30 feet according to the U.S. Forest Service. Osage-orange wood extractives are used for food processing, pesticide manufacturing, and dye making. The story of a busted up slab of osage orange that was milled on the WoodMizer bandsawmill. The reputation of such bows spread widely from the land of their makers-the Osage Indians of Arkansas and Missouri. Want more photos? My family has lived in Kansas for 7 generations and Osage orange wood (hedge) was used a great deal on the old farmsteads. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The Osage Orange enjoys the Cambridge climate and ours is one of the best specimens in the country. It got introduced to Iowa as a natural fence as the thorns made it hard for livestock and animals to pass. The wood is extremely hard, heavy, tough, and durable. Despite the word “orange” in its name, the tree displays no properties of citrus or orange whatsoever. Height: 15 m (49 feet) Flowering: May to June. The Osage Orange can be propagated very easily and makes good hedges and also a bushy tree that when loaded with fruit attracts much attention.The wood is also relatively immune from insect and fungis attack. And many a Midwestern farm still has fence posts of the wood in place after a century. Bug Fighting. What is the Osage Orange used for? Description of the plant: Plant: Deciduous Tree. The wood from the Osage tree has been used to make tool handles, fence posts, livestock stockades, and furniture with a stable, durable wood that can withstand rot for many years. Because the wood of the Osage orange is strong, flexible and takes on a nice finish when polished, Native Americans used it for war clubs and bows. Wherever Osage orange grew, it had many a use. Instead of burning strictly hedge, mix it with … Let me know if you think you'll be able to saw clears from these logs. Osage Orange lumber is among the densest, hottest burning woods in North America. Hedge, horse apple or Bodark are some other commonly used names for Osage orange. The wood itself, an attractive mellow red-orange color, is very hard and tough, comparable with yew; the Native Americans knew what they were doing when they used the wood for bows. The wood is excellent for both. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Highly decay-resistant, it was even laid as paving blocks. The extremely high strength of this wood led to its use for archery bows (in the 19th century, a well-made Osage-orange bow was worth “a horse and a … © 2021 Meredith Corporation. Some project parts, such as through-tenons and screw-hiding plugs, are intentionally left too long... read more. Osage Orange is among the niche wood and dried lumber products available from Timber Works! The tree also serves as a windbreak. Want To Buy . While other woods for ties lasted but a few years, Osage orange served for 20! karen_hine / Flickr (Creative Commons) In some places, 50-year-old fence posts still stand strong and sturdy as new. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/plant/Osage-orange, Great Plains Nature Center - Osage Orange. Osage orange. The Osage orange was a very handy tree for Native American Indians, who used it for centuries to make bows. Wooden fence post made of Osage are still as strong today as they were when set in the 1920s on my grandfathers place in Missouri. Does the bark help identify anything for you? The Osage orange has simple oval leaves that are borne alternately along the stems. Wagons and wheels. Woodworking Uses. However, the wood actually burns so hot you can easily damage a wood stove if you're not careful. Osage oranges have a white sticky sap which causes dermatitis in some people. PHOTO: FOTOLIA/SERHIY SHULLYE Osage orange tree (Maclura pomifera), known as a hedgeapple, is native in Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma but is now found throughout the continental United States. Bows. chicken; turkey; steak; venison; fish; and brisket. The wood is used for fence posts, treenails, furniture, and archery bows. Osage was one of the dyes used to make khaki colored uniforms during the first World War. Thread ... @vegas urban lumber and @phinds I believe it's osage orange, but I really don't know for sure. The diffuse, thorny branches form impenetrable hedges which were used to fence in livestock . In fact, many archers consider the wood of the Osage-orange to be the world's finest wood for bows. I LOVE wooden utensils made out of Osage Orange. Omissions? From the original questioner: Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. It has a yellow heartwood sometimes streaked with red that makes a bright and lightfast yellow dye. Medicinal use of Osage Orange: A tea made from the roots has been used as a wash for sore eyes. It is most commonly known as Osage orange, but other names include hedge, hedge-apple, yellow-wood, bowwood, Osage apple, and bodark (from the French bois d’arc, meaning bow wood). The heavy, close-grained yellow-orange wood is dense and prized for tool handles, treenails, fence posts, and other applications requiring a strong, dimensionally stable wood that withstands rot. Cracking and Checks do happen in Osage Orange drying. Osage Orange Uses Osage Orange is prized for traditional bow-making and other valued uses. Fossils indicate that Osage orange (Maclura pomifera) once grew naturally well outside its native range of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Missouri, and Arkansas. The osage orange has had many uses in the past. Common Uses: Fence posts, dye, archery bows, musical instruments, turnings, and other small specialty wood items. It's an excellent wood for fence posts and is perfect for ship masts. Super Strong and Versatile Wood While hard to find, straight-grained Osage Orange is an ideal wood for making compound bows. ----- Sustainability: Not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. I'm looking for some clear four side osage oragne for my wood bending operations. It is often used as fencing because of it’s very high degree of rot and insect resistance. Harder and stronger than even white oak, Osage orange was once cut for railroad ties. It is dioecious, with males and females as separate trees. Osage oranges have a white sticky sap which causes dermatitis in some people. Although Osage orange trees can be found throughout the Eastern states, they aren't native to our area. A 10% aqueous infusion and an extract diluted 1:1 have cardiovascular potentialities. Wood Uses. https://www.firewood-for-life.com/osage-orange-firewood.html Individuals are dioecious, meaning each plant bears only male or female flowers. Woodworking Uses. The Osage orange is often trained as a hedge; when planted in rows along a boundary, it forms an effective spiny barrier. European settlers, however, made use of it as an effective livestock hedge. En Francais, Bois is wood and arc is bow. It was brought north by Professor … The Osage orange tree, Maclura pomifera, is a close relative of fig trees and breadfruit trees and can attain heights of up to 50 feet. At least one of each sex must be planted to ensure pollination and seed set, although isolated females … Because of Osage orange’s hardness and durability, it often was used for wagon wheels. Uses of the Osage-Orange: The wood is extremely hard, heavy, durable and shrinks or swells little compared to the wood of other trees. Comparison of … Osage Orange Firewood Use. Its wood was once in demand for making hubs and wheel rims for horse drawn wagons, mine support timbers, posts and many other uses where decay resistance was important. Besides the windbreaks the tree provides, the wood was used for posts, heating the house, cooking and for making wagon parts. Osage orange trees (Maclura pomifera) are a familiar site in the Southwest, harking back to the days before barbed wire, when the trees formed living, thorny hedges that marked boundaries and protected livestock from wandering. All Rights Reserved. Osage Orange can be identified from similar looking species due to the water soluble yellow dye the wood naturally contains. People place the oranges in a variety of locations, such as behind … Osage orange (Maclura pomifera), is also known as bow-wood, bodark, boduck, horse … They've been a problem because … Osage oranges, also known as hedge balls or monkey brains, fall from hedge shrubs that line many Iowa farms. How can I keep my router bushing assembly in place? Osage Orange wood is used for lots of purposes, hand crafting of Duck Calls, Gun and Knife Handles, Guitars, Wood Bowls, Wood Spoons, Trophy Mounts, Gun Stocks, Fence Posts and more. (The name bodark is from the French bois d'arc … Bows of this hard, strong wood even were found by explorers in use as far north as Montana. It is often used as fencing because of it’s very high degree of rot and insect resistance. They were first found growing in the home of the Native American Osage tribe and the Osage Mountains in the south … Its hard wood was used to make war-clubs. It has an Argentinian relation, Maclura tinctoria, which comes in larger sizes and with less knots than the US species. Wood Central; Trade, Buy, Sell, or Show. The Osage orange is often trained as a hedge; when planted in rows along a boundary, it forms an effective spiny barrier. Though the Osage orange tree is incredibly useful for fencing, its fruit is inedible and can irritate the skin. Habitat of the herb: Woods, … Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Staves from Osage Orange where used to make native american bows in the central part of the United States. Alas, these showy fruits are not edible by humans. That's why in many parts of the nation the wood carries the name bois d'arc, French for wood of the bow. Osage Orange lumber is among the densest, hottest burning woods in North America. Osage orange can also be great for cooking. While other woods for ties lasted but a few years, Osage orange served for 20! Its hard yellow-orange wood, formerly used … In fact, many archers consider the wood of the Osage-orange to be the world's finest wood for bows. When placed in water, the liquid will turn yellow.