Monkey Brains and Hedge Apples

Each October and November the Sticky Bottle Team is on the lookout for “monkey brains.”  Every rider has seen them; they line roads and roll into traffic.  They lay on pavement intact or smashed.   They go by such terms as monkey brains or hedge apples.  They are the fruit produced by the Osage-orange tree.  Not much is known or understood of the strange fruit or its host tree.   

The Osage-orange is a medium-sized tree that commonly grows to 40 feet tall with some stretching to 60 feet.  It typically has a short trunk and takes on rather irregular shapes.  The female trees produce a 3- to 5- inch-diameter fruit which ripen in September and October and fall to the ground through December.  The "hedge apple" is the Osage’s product composed of numerous one-seeded “druplets.”  Take a good look at one next time; you will see the strange "Brainy" skin. The Osage-orange is a member of the Mulberry Family and like the Mulberry is essentially, a weed. 

The Osage-orange legacy begins in its native eastern Texas. This region was the home of the Osage Indians, hence the common name of Osage-orange.  White settlers moving into the region found that the tree possessed some valuable qualities. It is a durable species, transplants easily, and tolerates poor soils, heat, and heavy winds.  It is disease resistant and insects have little need for the tree.  During the mid-nineteenth century, it was widely planted by farmers as a living fence for penning in livestock.  The thicket formed by the grouping of trees was deemed to be "horse high, bull strong, and hog tight."  With Ohio farmer Lucien Smith’s invention of barbed wire in 1867, the widespread planting of Osage-orange trees slowed or ceased.  However, some of the original trees can still be found in fence rows in rural areas of the country. 

The Osage-orange has a variety of uses. The wood is extremely hard, tough, and durable. It also shrinks or swells very little compared to other hard woods.  The wood is used for fence posts, furniture, and archery bows.  In fact, many archers consider the wood of the Osage-orange to be the world's finest wood for bows.  Also, a bright yellow dye can be extracted from the wood.  

It is the fruit of the Osage-orange that most individuals find intriguing.  We have all picked one up, lobbed it at a friend and then hoped the heavy orb didn't concuss our pal.  They are a nuisance in the home landscape with the heavy fruit, strange structural contortions and thorny branches. The "hedge apples" are not an important source of food for wildlife as most birds and animals find the fruit tasteless. (However, the thorny trees do provide nesting and cover for wildlife.)  The use of the hedge apples for insect control is one of the most enduring pest management home remedy wives tales. Placement of hedge apples around the foundation is claimed to provide relief from pests and insects however these claims have not stood the test of scientific testing. 

Most Mid-Atlantic States do not recommend the planting of the Osage-orange tree.   Visit our website at www.stickybottleteam.teampages.com.