The Tropical Fruit Forum

Temperate Fruit & Orchards => Temperate Fruit Discussion => Topic started by: brian on November 25, 2019, 02:21:53 PM

Title: osage orange
Post by: brian on November 25, 2019, 02:21:53 PM
I have some woods behind my house I have been looking to plant some new trees in.  I remembered that there is an Osage Orange tree near my office - I see the fruit all over the road ever year -  so I was reading up on it.  Sounds like an interesting tree, wood could be useful.  Anybody try growing it?  I just collected a half dozen fruits from the road to harvest seeds from.

I realize the fruit isn't edible, looks neat though.  Might be fun to play baseball with :-p
Title: Re: osage orange
Post by: SeaWalnut on November 25, 2019, 05:52:59 PM
It is verry usefull to graft che fruit tree on it.
Those are expensive  and quite rare fruit trees that need 2 ,male and female both grafted .
Title: Re: osage orange
Post by: brian on November 25, 2019, 06:20:22 PM
Thanks, I had never heard of che fruit.  Might try growing that too if I can find seeds and attempt grafting one day

https://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/che.html (https://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/che.html)
Title: Re: osage orange
Post by: SeaWalnut on November 25, 2019, 07:32:28 PM
Thanks, I had never heard of che fruit.  Might try growing that too if I can find seeds and attempt grafting one day

https://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/che.html (https://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/che.html)
My recomandation is to buy grafted trees ,one male and one female and plant them outdoor.
As grafted trees they are expensive but over time you can graft scions on osage orange rootstock and have valuable trees to trade or sell.
Grafted che trees cost as much as grafted paw paws here but because you need 2 trees ,the total cost becomes double than a grafted paw paw.
Title: Re: osage orange
Post by: Triloba Tracker on November 25, 2019, 07:35:26 PM
Osage is all over the place here. I always think to myself there has to be a use for it. Looks like breadfruit.
So far the only use I know is rootstock for Che  ;D
Title: Re: osage orange
Post by: brian on November 25, 2019, 07:40:42 PM
I already have a lot of pawpaw seedlings, have been thinking of buying a grafted cultivar and grafting cuttings from it onto my seedlings.

Osage orange wood is interesting, and the fruit is good for throwing at least :-p

Sounds like it has a ton of huge thorns though
Title: Re: osage orange
Post by: SeaWalnut on November 25, 2019, 08:19:08 PM
Osage orange wood is beautifull and tough.Its yellow but doesnt keep that color and turns brown over time.
Native indians used to make bows from it.
Title: Re: osage orange
Post by: Triloba Tracker on November 25, 2019, 08:32:24 PM
Yes it has large razor sharp thorns. But they have long internode spacing so they can be avoided.
Title: Re: osage orange
Post by: Pokeweed on November 27, 2019, 08:29:41 AM
It's also called bois d' arc. Bow wood. Pronounced bodark down here. At one time insurance companies required houses they covered to be built on stumps or pilings of that wood because it is pretty much impervious to insects. If course, my house built 120 yrs ago was set on oak stumps instead. Termite highway!
From what I have read if you have che grafted onto this you only want female trees. If males are present the fruit will be seedy. D
Title: Re: osage orange
Post by: brian on November 27, 2019, 12:01:48 PM
Ah yes I had read about the bow-wood aspect... I found a few logs of it but nothing long enough or I'd try making a stick bow out of it
Title: Re: osage orange
Post by: will2358 on November 27, 2019, 05:40:50 PM
Is this the fruit that was carried in pockets and purses back in the day, to help tone down body odor.
Title: Re: osage orange
Post by: Pokeweed on November 28, 2019, 08:57:08 AM
I don't know about body odor, but I've heard that if you put a fruit in each room of your house you will be pretty much insect gree. Never tried it myself. D
Title: Re: osage orange
Post by: Triloba Tracker on November 28, 2019, 09:04:59 AM
I don't know about body odor, but I've heard that if you put a fruit in each room of your house you will be pretty much insect gree. Never tried it myself. D
I’ve heard the same about wax myrtle twigs.
May be some truth to it!
It’s funny to occasionally see a squirrel lugging an entire Osage orange by the teeth LOL
Title: Re: osage orange
Post by: Anolis on November 29, 2019, 01:15:34 PM
The seeds are reportedly edible. I’ve tried a few myself, but found them too much of a bother for what you get. http://www.eattheweeds.com/maclura-pomifera-the-edible-inedible-2/ (http://www.eattheweeds.com/maclura-pomifera-the-edible-inedible-2/)

Other than its use as rootstock, fenceposts, and bows...it can also be used to make a pretty wicked living fence.
Title: Re: osage orange
Post by: Pokeweed on December 02, 2019, 09:36:18 AM
I tried to do the Osage Orange fence thing. Put a bunch of the fruit in a barrel and let them rot, added some water, made a slurry and poured it into a trough I had dug. It was far enough from the house that it was inconvenient to water and we had a drought that year. No fence. I have them in random pots around the house that squirrels planted for me. D