Osage Orange | Fourth and Gill Arboretum

Other Names:: [Horse / Hedge] Apple, Bodark
Native to:: Widely naturalized
Sidewalk Visibility:: Good
Public?: No
Diameter:
Conservation Status
Description:: One of the more interesting trees in N. America. A relative of the Mulberry, the Osage orange is considered to be an evolutionary anachronism, wherein one or more now extinct Pleistocene megafauna fed on the fruit and aided in seed dispersal. As such (and despite being edible) no existing modern animal feeds on the fruit or disperses its seeds. The wood is exceptionally durable and the second hardest in N. America (behind Live Oak), which contributes to its reputation as an ideal material for archery bows, fence posts, mallet heads, and musical instruments.
Notes:: The only osage orange in the neighborhood, and a rather large and old one at that.