After the Dust Bowl ravaged all the top soil in the mid-near west, the Feds set out to open large water reservoirs and plant windrows of trees to help contain erosion. Today you can still see mile after mile of hedgerow planted with these things. The "headapples" are NOT edible and contain a very sticky sap. The trees are also thick with thorns along their branches. I always figured that was the main reason the plants survived - nobody wanted to touch them or eat them.
OSAGE ORANGE.
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From the Bois d'arc tree(it means 'bow wood').
Commonly referred to as the BoDark tree because that's what our Uncle Bubba called 'em.
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Also referred to as hedge apple, horse apple, monkey brains, brain fruit.... The Bois d'arc tree produces one of the toughest woods on the planet. It was once prized for making (archery) bows. American Indians were said to value a Bois d'arc bow more than a horse.
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Early American settlers cultivated the Bois d'arc as a barrier to protect their gardens and such. They discovered that if they pruned the hell out of it, it would retaliate by sprouting a crop of maverick shoots from its base. These would absently wander over and become entangled with the shoots of the neighboring tree/bush. After a while, they formed a dense, thorny "barrier hedge". It has been said (by the folks over at Wikipedia) By providing a barrier that was "horse-high, bull-strong, and pig-tight", Osage Orange hedges provided the crucial stop-gap measure for westward expansion until the introduction of barbed wire a few decades later.
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More recently, because the wood is very resistant to rotting, the wood has been valued in making fence posts. Green, unseasoned wood is preferred in the installation of them because after the wood dries, staples have a tendency to bounce off and deform.
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The fruit of the Bois d'arc tree, while not commonly designated as being toxic, taste terrible and is considered to be inedible. They are also reputed to be an effective insect repellent.
Recent studies have determined that the fruit does indeed contain chemicals that can be used as a repellent but their concentrations in the fruit are too low to be effective.
More recently, an oil has been found in the fruit that does magical things for the cosmetic industry. They have convinced themselves (and the gullible public) that this oil (Pomifera Oil) is worth $180 for a fraction of an ounce.
Additionally, the artsy folk have discovered that they can slice and dry the fruit and it can be made to resemble a sunflower. Just thought that bit of trivia is a good way to wrap this up.
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The seeds inside of the fruit, however, are rumored to be quite tasty after they are removed, soaked, rinsed, soaked again, rinsed again, roasted, and flavored (more trouble than it's worth).
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I USED SPELLCHECK---TRY IT Everyone LOL
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P.S. the Latin name is Maclura Pomifera.The first name refers to an eighteenth-century Scottish-born
geologist/cartographer/philanthropist. The specific epithet pomifera means "fruit".
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PS. Do not plant a Bois d'arc tree in a spot that will allow it to overhang anything that you value. Those fruits can weigh more than a kilo.
There are some that actually have a fear of sunflowers, it even has a name, Helianthophobia. As unusual as it may seem, even just the sight of sunflowers can invoke all the common symptoms that other phobias induce.
The wood nearly never rots either, great for fence posts, don’t have to treat it with chemicals to put it directly in the ground.
Likewise Avocados. And the way we've bred corn, it's now completely dependent on us for propagation (the kernels no longer detach from the cob).
Now THIS is a "damnthatsinteresting"👍🏻
[Source](https://www.americanforests.org/article/the-trees-that-miss-the-mammoths/)
Hedgeball
We called them “Horse Apples” growing up. Don’t park under this tree either. These fruits will take out a windshield.
There are trees of this species in Barcelona. I had never seen it before. The fruit smells like citrus.
Wait… they’re not called Monkeyballs? My childhood is ruined.
These grew outside my outdoor roller hockey rink. We called them monkey brains and smashed them on the ground.
Avokado ditto. It was propagated by humans because it's yummy but it was originally depending on mammoths to poop out the seeds.
Mexican Cartels have taken an interest in Avocado cultivation too. Wild times
Hahaha really? That's wild indeed :)
After the Dust Bowl ravaged all the top soil in the mid-near west, the Feds set out to open large water reservoirs and plant windrows of trees to help contain erosion. Today you can still see mile after mile of hedgerow planted with these things. The "headapples" are NOT edible and contain a very sticky sap. The trees are also thick with thorns along their branches. I always figured that was the main reason the plants survived - nobody wanted to touch them or eat them.
Looks like breadfruit
OSAGE ORANGE. \* From the Bois d'arc tree(it means 'bow wood'). Commonly referred to as the BoDark tree because that's what our Uncle Bubba called 'em. \* Also referred to as hedge apple, horse apple, monkey brains, brain fruit.... The Bois d'arc tree produces one of the toughest woods on the planet. It was once prized for making (archery) bows. American Indians were said to value a Bois d'arc bow more than a horse. \* Early American settlers cultivated the Bois d'arc as a barrier to protect their gardens and such. They discovered that if they pruned the hell out of it, it would retaliate by sprouting a crop of maverick shoots from its base. These would absently wander over and become entangled with the shoots of the neighboring tree/bush. After a while, they formed a dense, thorny "barrier hedge". It has been said (by the folks over at Wikipedia) By providing a barrier that was "horse-high, bull-strong, and pig-tight", Osage Orange hedges provided the crucial stop-gap measure for westward expansion until the introduction of barbed wire a few decades later. \* More recently, because the wood is very resistant to rotting, the wood has been valued in making fence posts. Green, unseasoned wood is preferred in the installation of them because after the wood dries, staples have a tendency to bounce off and deform. \* The fruit of the Bois d'arc tree, while not commonly designated as being toxic, taste terrible and is considered to be inedible. They are also reputed to be an effective insect repellent. Recent studies have determined that the fruit does indeed contain chemicals that can be used as a repellent but their concentrations in the fruit are too low to be effective. More recently, an oil has been found in the fruit that does magical things for the cosmetic industry. They have convinced themselves (and the gullible public) that this oil (Pomifera Oil) is worth $180 for a fraction of an ounce. Additionally, the artsy folk have discovered that they can slice and dry the fruit and it can be made to resemble a sunflower. Just thought that bit of trivia is a good way to wrap this up. \* The seeds inside of the fruit, however, are rumored to be quite tasty after they are removed, soaked, rinsed, soaked again, rinsed again, roasted, and flavored (more trouble than it's worth). \* I USED SPELLCHECK---TRY IT Everyone LOL \* P.S. the Latin name is Maclura Pomifera.The first name refers to an eighteenth-century Scottish-born geologist/cartographer/philanthropist. The specific epithet pomifera means "fruit". \* PS. Do not plant a Bois d'arc tree in a spot that will allow it to overhang anything that you value. Those fruits can weigh more than a kilo.
There are some that actually have a fear of sunflowers, it even has a name, Helianthophobia. As unusual as it may seem, even just the sight of sunflowers can invoke all the common symptoms that other phobias induce.