Recently when there was a break from the frigid temperatures and the cold rains, we explored another neighborhood park. We found tennis courts, ball fields, playgrounds, an exercise trail, and a nature walk. We explored the nature walk which had long ago lost any of its information. Below are a few pictures.
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| The temperatures were in the fifties and the sky was clear. |
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| The trail was mostly dry with only a few muddy spots from the rains earlier in the week. |
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| We walked for a while chatting before I spotted this interesting tree. I felt it needed more investigation. |
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| Ward was happy to wait on the trail while I fought my way through the brush to find the tree. |
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| It was worth the scratches and the sticks in my hair because when I got closer, I found the ground littered with hedgeapples. |
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| The large tree that I went to see was pretty impressive, but I was most excited with the hedgeapples. I didn't remember a lot about them, so I looked up one of my posts I did several years ago about hedgeapples when we got home. It's copied below if you want to learn a little more. |
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A Second Look--Hedgeapples
A Second Look guest this week--Miss Landers. Photo credits: Miss Landers
Miss Landers is introducing all kinds of things to me. First it was
rutabagas and now it's hedgeapples which she found doing a
Second Look around her vacation cabin. Hedgeapples are something that I've heard about all of my life, but wasn't quite sure what they were. Here are a few things I found out.
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| Hedgeapple |
Hedgeapples are a bumpy fruit about the size of a grapefruit that grows on a thorny tree. They are a member of the mulberry family and have naturalized all over the United States although they are quite common in the prairies where rows of them were planted as wind breaks. Also, when they were allowed to grow together as a thorny hedge, the trees provided an effective fence for cattle. Hedgeapple trees were used extensively for cattle management until the invention of barbed wire. (Are you starting to get the idea of where the name "hedgeapple" came from?)
Although not toxic, they aren't as popular as you think they would be in the food world. The hulls are tough to get into which sends a lot of animals elsewhere. However, our friend, the squirrel, manages to chew to the inside to get to the tasty seeds.
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| Miss Landers found the ground littered with them. |
We humans don't eat them either, but we do use the tree and its fruit for a few other things. Many people swear by the insect repellent properties of the hedgeapple, but as usual, the scientists don't see any real proof it helps. The wood of the tree is quite dense and is used to make bows. Many think it makes the best bows in the world.
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| This hedgeapple got caught between branches during its fall. |
I know a little more about hedgeapples now. I can't wait to visit Miss Landers' vacation cabin and see the hedgeapples for myself.
(BTW: Hedgeapples are also known as Osage oranges, horse apples, and bodarks.)
That was a great post! I had heard of Osage oranges, but not of hedge apples! I don't think I've ever seen the fruit in person! Thank you for sharing the find with us!
ReplyDeleteI grew up hearing about hedgeapples frequently, but don't remember seeing them until a few years ago. They still hold a fascination with me.
DeleteWe grew up calling them Indian Oranges but I have no idea why. They made great weapons in kid play wars because they didn't hurt.
ReplyDeleteThey didn't hurt? They're kind of big and the outsides are kind of hard. It looks like it would hurt to get hit by one. I guess they were less damaging than a rock.
DeleteSo that's what those things are called! I have to laugh ... my husband would have been like Ward, happy to stay on the main path, whereas I would have followed in your footsteps to check out the interesting tree. I guess you and I are highly distractible. :) Or maybe just more curious ...
ReplyDeleteI would like to go with the more curious--at least about these kind of things. The latest economic policies--I'd say that Ward wins for curiosity in that area.
DeleteI'm glad we have husbands who keep up on things I have less interest in. Me, I'll be curious about nature and art and music.
DeleteWhat was it my mother (and a lot of other people) always said? "How boring it would be if we were all alike."
DeleteWow. I've never heard of them... by any of their names. I still can't get over how strange your woods look to my western eye. It's just not natural to see so many deciduous trees in one place! :-)
ReplyDeleteA lower elevation and more rain make deciduous trees happier here than in your neck of the woods, I guess.
DeleteI love your blog, I always learn something new. I had never seen nor heard of hedge apples! I've been thinking about lagniappe for a week so now I'll be pondering hedge apples, I guess :)
ReplyDeleteI read your post yesterday morning but didn't comment because you inspired me to take a walk in my own neighborhood... and then a lengthy bike ride! Anything to escape my dreary chores, ha. So thanks again!
I'm glad you occasionally learn something here. I've learned a lot since I started writing it as I try to explain things I see.
DeleteI find hedgeapples fun in real life. They are like big, bumpy softballs. However, the trees have thorns which are not so fun.
I'm having a hard time with walks these days because of the cold weather. I have a long hallway in my house I pace now every time I'm on the phone. I talk a lot with my three sisters, so I can get my steps in that way.
I had never heard of hedgeapples before so thanks for the information on them. Very interesting. We're having like spring weather here, abnormally warm, has been for a week, kind of eery as it shouldn't be so warm this time of year. Snow pack in the mountains is very low, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteThe weather recently has been one ice storm after another. Yes, it's winter.
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