What kind of tree is this?

[fishheadbob]

Someone suggested that Bois d' arc trees make good bows. Bois is wood in french, arc is bow; so the French knew what tree to use for bow making. Strong, everlasting, rot proof fence posts too.
This thread is both funny and a little scary. I think the O.P. might have a project way above his skill set, and it might not end well. Or maybe when he's finishes he'll be a master woodsman with some high end chainsaws and no serious injuries.

 

[RSKY]

My goodness man, Sketchers Slip Ins for sawing up a thorn covered Osage Orange?!? What were you thinking? Put on some thick soled high top work boots!

I have learned my lesson. Didn't realize what kind of evil monster that tree was.

RSKY

 

[RSKY]

Someone suggested that Bois d' arc trees make good bows. Bois is wood in french, arc is bow; so the French knew what tree to use for bow making. Strong, everlasting, rot proof fence posts too.
This thread is both funny and a little scary. I think the O.P. might have a project way above his skill set, and it might not end well. Or maybe when he's finishes he'll be a master woodsman with some high end chainsaws and no serious injuries.

Not really above my skill level. Definitely above the son in laws which is why I was there. I wasn't really going to cut as much down as I ended up doing BUT it happened. We ended up cutting and dragging about a dozen large limbs/trunks. Much more to do to clear that one spot.

 

[NoTrespassing]

Not really above my skill level. Definitely above the son in laws which is why I was there. I wasn't really going to cut as much down as I ended up doing BUT it happened. We ended up cutting and dragging about a dozen large limbs/trunks. Much more to do to clear that one spot.

Hope you'll post more pictures

 

[RSKY]

Hope you'll post more pictures

Going back today. Hope I survive!!

RSKY

 

[lman]

Yeah, it's a long end game.

With that said, I planted several thousand trees back in 1989 and they're all over 50' tall and I'm still here. (knock on wood).

I've never seen Hedgeapple trees that were 50' tall. Most of them are a tangled mess when they get about 25' tall.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Someone suggested that Bois d' arc trees make good bows. Bois is wood in french, arc is bow; so the French knew what tree to use for bow making. Strong, everlasting, rot proof fence posts too.
This thread is both funny and a little scary. I think the O.P. might have a project way above his skill set, and it might not end well. Or maybe when he's finishes he'll be a master woodsman with some high end chainsaws and no serious injuries.

A late friend of mine was a gunsmith, bow and gun stock maker. He used Osage Orange for his bows, and was famous for them. FWIW, back in our poverty days, we used the apples...cut in two...to kill the multitudes of cockroaches in our rented apartment.

 

[ponytug]

I've never seen Hedgeapple trees that were 50' tall. Most of them are a tangled mess when they get about 25' tall.

Not that far from you and @MossRoad, I remember we used to have some huge specimens that were in the 50'+ range, 80-120 year old trees, based on the age of the houses around them. I think in the 1880s they were a popular ornamental tree in parts of the Midwest. I always thought they were a bit of a sleeper tree; no showy flowers, or scent, and then these cryptic fruit that suddenly were yellowish monsters.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Lineman North Florida]

After cutting and disposing of hundreds of these things, I'm finally down to 5 in the pasture that are trimmed up to look like decent trees. Too big to cut down completely, but the ones I have left don't produce hedge apples for whatever reason. They can make pretty shade trees if you keep up with the pruning.

They are SO hard to kill. Any stump left will have new sprouts coming out of it and 5' high in a few months, even if the stump is treated with Roundup. The stumps really all need to be ground out, but unfortunately, I can't get to some of them with my grinder.

Pro Tips: Hedge chips make good mulch, takes forever to decompose. Use cheapo HF welding gloves to handle those thorny branches while you are chucking them into the chipper or burn pile.

That's interesting I have never seen any type of tree stump that could survive the straight roundup treatment when applied around the cambium layer right after cutting, but I have never seen one of these down here in the deep South, you learn something everyday.

 

[wmfamily]

We have a whole farm of them in western Missouri. We still have a huge one used for shade located where the old farm house sat and my Grandpa said it was the only thing worth visiting Missouri for (he was from Kentucky). Since we didn't have air conditioning in those days we spent most of the day under the tree.

When we first moved to the farm we heated with wood (Mom still does at 91) and we tried using hedge. It got so hot that we ended up burning the cast iron grates out of the stove. That was an expensive lesson. You can use it with a stove with fire bricks but you still need to be careful of the heat. It also tends to pop a lot so you need to have a screen if using in a fireplace.

My brother and his friend had a small business cutting fence posts from the thousands growing in the fence rows here. They make the best fence posts but you need to let them sit for a bit or they will sprout.