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Osage Oranges (Hedge Apples) Information
In my internet "travels" I come across some interesting plant information. Take for instance the "Osage Orange" or hedgeapple, a most unusual fruit/tree. I have seen these "apples", cut one open and smelled it to see if it was worth a "taste." Decided that, nope, better not try it. I know very little about this tree or it's fruit other than it's the ugliest fruit I've ever seen and that it grows around southeastern Tennessee. All the locals know of it but tell me it's useless as fruit. Well, that's not entirely true so will share what I found out about this ugly fruit. If anyone knows any other neat tips about this fruit please advise as I am now thinking this is something worthwhile to have around. Seeds anyone? As far as I know you can't eat it, but it's not poisonous.
http://hedgeapple.com/
Hedgeapples
Osage Orange
Maclura Pomifera
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION :
Osage-orange is native to a narrow belt in eastern Texas, southeastern
Oklahoma, southwestern Arkansas, and the extreme northwest corner of
Louisiana. This belt includes portions of the Blackland Prairies, Chiso
Mountains, and the Red River drainage [4]. Osage-orange has been
introduced into most of the conterminous United States and has become
naturalized throughout much of the eastern United States and the central
Great Plains
STATES :
AL AR CA CO CT DE FL GA IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI
MS MO
NE NH NJ NY NC OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA
WV
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES :
Native and naturalized populations of osage-orange occur in rich
bottomland forests and on sandy terraces. On the Trinity River
floodplain in Texas, mostly small (less than 8-inch [20 cm] diameter)
osage-orange occurs in bottomland forests dominated by cedar elm (Ulmus
crassifolia), sugarberry (Celtis laevigata), green ash (Fraxinus
pennsylvanica), and western soapberry (Sapindus soponaria var.
drummondii) [18]. In Iowa, osage-orange occurs in a honey-locust
(Gleditsia triacanthos)-black locust (Robinia psuedoacacia)-boxelder
(Acer negundo)-elm (Ulmus spp.) forest [15]. On lower terraces of Salt
Creek in Illinois, osage-orange occurs in a bur oak (Quercus
macrocarpa)-hackberrry (Celtis occidentalis) forest [16]. Osage-orange
is also associated with white oak (Quercus alba), white ash (Fraxinus
americana), and red mulberry (Morus rubra) [4].
In Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama, osage-orange occurs with eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana), black walnut (Juglans nigra), hickory (Carya spp.), and elm [4].
Osage-orange that has escaped cultivation often occurs as thickets along
fencerows and ditches, in ravines, and in overgrazed pastures. It commonly occurs with honey-locust in disturbed areas [4].
Fruit of the Osage orange tree, hedge apples are a proven safe insect control for roaches making them a popular natural pest control.
Safer than a natural insecticide, they don't kill roaches or kill ants, they repel them using their natural insect repellant abilities. For best natural pest control, it is recommended to place a hedgeapple in each room or adjacent closet for best insect control. Forget the moth balls. Average repellant life in an air-condition environment is 2 months for unaltered Hedgeapples. Hedgeapples can be cut, cored, "frozen and thawed" or whatever to expedite their natural pest control effects, although life is greatly reduced. The fluids will evaporate quicker creating more intense natural insect repellant vapors.
http://www.ent.iastate.edu/dept/research/tox/catnip.htmll
Catnip and Osage Orange Components Found to Repel German Cockroaches
"Catnip, well known for its intoxicating effect on cats, contains a
chemical called nepetalactone. This compound is present in two isomers,
which were isolated and tested individually for their repellency. The
researchers reported that the minor isomer (the E,Z-isomer) was 5 to 10
times more repellent than the principal isomer (Z,E)."
Bonnie TN