poehere
Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 105 Posts October 9, 20173 found this helpful
Best Answer
Here are some facts about the Hedge Apple tree:
- Most people call the yellow-green fruit Hedge Apples. The fruit is produced by the Osage-Orange.
- The trees are native to Eastern Texas, southwestern Arkansas, and southeastern Oklahoma.
- The trees are easy to transplant and do well in poor soil conditions.
- It is used as a barrier for livestock and many people plant the Hedge Apple instead of using barbwire.
- The wood of the tree is very hard and is used to make fence posts, bows, furniture and wood nails.
- The fruit of the tree is dangerous and can become a dangerous weapon if eaten by small children. Many families won't plant this around their home if they have young children. The children try to eat the apples and they are harmful and dangerous.
- You can use the Hedge Apple tree around the foundation of your home as a pest control for cockroaches, spiders, crickets and other bugs that enter your home.
- The tree isn't suitable to use for landscaping because of the large green fruit and sticker or thorns on the tree. Many states such as southern Iowa are starting to band the trees in these areas.
- The milky juice present in the stems of the plant can cause skin irritation.
- People suspect the fruit is poisonous to livestock, but it hasn't been proven yet.
Basically the tree is only good for planting around your home if you have a lot of insects that enter your home. I personally wouldn't plant this tree in my yard or close to my home because of the throns, milky sap, skin irritations, and a possibility of a small child eating this fruit on the tree.
November 5, 20170 found this helpful
are hedge apples good for humans
December 13, 20170 found this helpful
I used it to get rid of ring worm on my kids it leaves a stain but works
Anonymous
August 17, 20200 found this helpful
I live in Alabama. Osage Orange trees were brought in in the 1830s to use as "living fence posts". They were strung with woven hog wire and barbed wire to contain the hogs which were allowed free run of the 20 acre property next door to me. The Osage Orange produces a very hard orange-toned wood prized by local woodworkers to carve into dough bowls. The trees should not be planted close to buildings. The trees are best used as pasture or property line hedgerows. Old trees may be strung with hog wire which can do a lot of damage to a chain saw. The trees should not be planted close to buildings. They have an extensive root system that needs to be avoided by traffic to keep the trees healthy. Modern practices of volcano mulching, scalping the roots, and dousing with Round-Up are killing the 200 year old trees.
Judy
Gold Post Medal for All Time! 677 Posts October 9, 20170 found this helpful
The trees provide some protection for wildlife. The apple has no food value.
Anonymous
November 1, 20170 found this helpful
The seeds are edible for humans.
October 17, 20170 found this helpful
This is an interesting question. You do not say if you have a Hedge-Apple tree, have seen them for sale or if you are just curious as to their use.
- Actually, most scientific studies do not show there is any really good use for a Hedge Apple but it does appear the wood of the tree has some commercial uses.
- The Hedge Apple can be used as an ornamental fruit but it will eventually rot and have to be thrown away (can make a big mess so has to be used in a bowl).
- This information from a University site: The use of the hedge apples for insect control is one of the most enduring pest management home remedies. Placement of hedge apples around the foundation or inside the basement is claimed to provide relief from cockroaches, spiders, boxelder bugs, crickets and other pests. There is no scientific evidence that this works.
- That simply means they have not tested it so they cannot say yea or nae (but lean towards the nae).
- It is not recommended as a suitable tree for the home landscape because of its large fruit and sharp thorns.
- Here are a couple of sites that have some information about the Hedge Apple - just for reading if interested.
- lancaster.unl.edu/.../hedgeapple.htm
- hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/.../hedgeapple.html
Some people swear by their use as an insect repellent so maybe it does work for some??
Here are a couple of regular sites that have some information but they are also skeptical about the insect repellent use.
www.hunker.com/.../uses-for-hedge-apples
homeguides.sfgate.com/hedge-balls-spider-repellent-74023...
