What is this ????

[DIRTYDUCK]

I found this fruit growing on a smallish tree near the Catawba river today. Who can identify it for me ??????

[SCSwitchback]

Osage orange, don't know how it got there though. They're native out west. Was it a small tree?

[Mergie Master]

Switchback is right, Osage Orange.

The Ndn's out where it grew naturally used the wood exclusively for making bows, it works great. So good that the tribes from that area traded the wood to other tribes. People still make bows from the Osage wood. Here's a site on making Osage Bows.

Building The Osage Bow

The reason you found it there is because people have transplanted them as ornamental trees in their yards. They were pretty popular at one time around here.

[Sparkleberry Runner]

I got an Eddie Cribb duck call made out of Osage Orange. sounds good!

[ccleroy]

Yep Osage Orange........it makes a great striker as well......heres one I turned out of it this past week............

[300WINMAG]

Interesting- never seen one before. Edible like other oranges???

[Phone Man]

isn't bois de arc the same thing?

[marshman]

There are a lot of them in Alabama but I dont think the deer or hogs eat them.

[GMAC]

It is the preferred wood for the making of bows.

[DIRTYDUCK]

I cut it in half and the inside resembles a kiwi, but a very sticky juice oozes out, it would make a fine glue. So Im guessing inedible. Thanks to all that responded . I told my son It wouldn't take long to find out if I posted it on here.

[elijah58]

Don't eat it is poisonous!!!!

[Mobetter]

I cut it in half and the inside resembles a kiwi, but a very sticky juice oozes out, it would make a fine glue. So Im guessing inedible. Thanks to all that responded . I told my son It wouldn't take long to find out if I posted it on here.

Yea, the insides of those things are crazy. Almost like crazy glue latex.

[FBT]

I think midwesterners hunt over them in the late season. they call em hedge apples. deer will eat em when everything else is gone. I think bois d' arc is the same thing.

[Tater]

isn't bois de arc the same thing?

I think midwesterners hunt over them in the late season. they call em hedge apples. deer will eat em when everything else is gone. I think bois d' arc is the same thing.

Yes it is.

[SCSwitchback]

If I'm not mistaken, back in the day, people planted these trees close together to act as "fences" to keep cattle in certain areas.

Leroy, that's a beautiful striker you turned out of osage wood. How does it sound? Have you made a slate out of that stuff too?

[GRN HED KILR]

An older gentleman that lives up the street from me makes bows from osage orange. He has planted several on some of his property, although I am not sure how they are growing. I do know he claims to have found a few growing wild in this area. I wonder if some of the local trees are the product of Indian trading years ago?

[ccleroy]

Leroy, that's a beautiful striker you turned out of osage wood. How does it sound? Have you made a slate out of that stuff too?

Sounds great so far it's a very versatile wood I've found and matches up well with about all the surfaces I've played it on......I haven't made any pots out of it yet but it's the next wood on my list to get in a board.......