Dear Friends, Gardeners on both coasts may not be aware of our mid-western 'Hedge Apples' (Maclura pomifera). Today's local paper, the Kansas City Star, had a lovely picture of a lawn littered with green bowling ball size fruit. This tree is native to a fairly small area in the center of the US, but uncommon more widely. Also known as Osage Orange and Bois D'arc. This is a large tree, normally pretty anonymous to most people. This time of year the large chartreuse green soft-ball size fruits are highly visible on the trees (to 50 ft and more tall) and the fallen fruits litter the ground. They are very attractive; see: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/… but essentially useless. These fruit litter sidewalks and road sides. They are very dense, solid and difficult to cut. They ooze a sticky latex like sap and can literally cause damage to vehicles parked under them. The wood is strong, dense and very useful particularly for fence posts and at one time bows (thus the Bois d'arc name) . The trees are densely branched and bear many evil sharp thorns, but are impervious to most insects and disease. Thus modern cultivars have been developed as street trees from thornless, fruitless strains. The fruits are abundant now and very beautiful from afar. You just don't want to get too close or handle them much. More info at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osage-orange/ Just FYI. Best Jim W. (We have a first un - forecast light frost last night. Enough procrastinating !) -- Dr. James W. Waddick 8871 NW Brostrom Rd. Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711 USA Ph. 816-746-1949 Zone 5 Record low -23F Summer 100F +
