Pam’s Perspective<\/p>\n
Pam Otto is the Manager of Nature Programs and<\/p>\n
Interpretive Services for the St. Charles Park District<\/p>\n
(Continued on Page 2)<\/p>\n
Deck the halls with boughs of\u2026hedge apples?<\/p>\n
I couldn’t believe it but, yup, there they were. Hedge apples, or osage oranges, entwined<\/p>\n
throughout the holiday garland at the St. Charles Park District’s Baker Community Center.<\/p>\n
Although this naturalist is no Martha Stewart, her famous phrase immediately came to mind. “It’s<\/p>\n
a good thing,” I said to the fruit. Out loud.<\/p>\n
A fascinating plant with lore galore, osage orange is a ubiquitous part of our former-farmland<\/p>\n
landscape. Sturdy and stalwart, it’s a relic of a bygone era. Yet it is often overlooked. The species<\/p>\n
is native to the United States, but not Illinois, so most natural area managers scoff at it. And<\/p>\n
landowners whose property is lined with osage orange often curse the tree for its skin tearing,<\/p>\n
and tire puncturing, thorns. But if you’re into plants with rich cultural history\u2014not to mention<\/p>\n
unique decorating potential\u2014well then, osage orange may be<\/p>\n
just the tree for you.<\/p>\n
Thousands of years ago, when megafauna walked the land,<\/p>\n
osage orange was part of the scenery, right alongside critters like<\/p>\n
mastodons and giant ground sloths. In fact, it’s theorized that<\/p>\n
these animals were some of the primary dispersers for osage<\/p>\n
orange seeds way back then.<\/p>\n
Apparently, though, they didn’t roam far, because the tree’s<\/p>\n
native range was, and is, confined to eastern Texas, plus parts of<\/p>\n
Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. But if you were to set about<\/p>\n
doing an osage orange survey today, you’d find this rugged tree present in all 48 contiguous<\/p>\n
states, plus parts of southern Canada.<\/p>\n
About 150 or so years ago, osage orange became THE tree to have. The Osage Native Americans,<\/p>\n
who’d earlier discovered that the tree’s wood made the best bows EVER, introduced pioneers to<\/p>\n
the versatile plant. These settlers in turn planted the trees as windbreaks to slow soil erosion<\/p>\n
caused by the prairie’s prevailing winds, and to serve as the fencing they needed to contain<\/p>\n
roaming cattle.<\/p>\n
The trees were planted close together, in a row, and their tops were cut off so they’d grow<\/p>\n
shrubby instead of tall. The plants’ prickly, sinuous branches would, over time, knit together to<\/p>\n
form an impenetrable hedge that was “horse high, bull strong and hog tight.”<\/p>\n
When barbed wire came on the scene, in the late 1860s and early ’70s, it could have spelled the<\/p>\n
end of osage orange’s popularity. But because fence wire is useless without fence posts, and<\/p>\n
because osage orange wood resists rot, insects and sun damage, the tree’s use remained high.<\/p>\n
Pam’s Perspective – Page 2<\/p>\n
Have you ever looked at an old wire fencerow? Did you notice how many of the posts are downright<\/p>\n
crooked? Chances are these are made from osage orange. The tree’s twisty, knotted growth habit makes it<\/p>\n
unsuitable for use as planks, but excellent for fence posts, wagon wheels and bow staves.<\/p>\n
Its wood is remarkable, but osage orange’s namesake fruit\u2014the highlight of the Baker Center’s Christmas<\/p>\n
display\u2014is pretty amazing in its own right. Big as a grapefruit and safety green in color, it goes by many<\/p>\n
names, including hedge apple, horse apple and monkey brains. It has a light, citrusy smell, and is used by<\/p>\n
some folks as a natural insect repellent.<\/p>\n
The fruit’s flesh is milky and bitter tasting, palatable to giant ground sloths but not too many other critters.<\/p>\n
However, some horses like them, and determined squirrels will chew through the pulp to get to the seeds\u2014<\/p>\n
as many as 200 per orange\/apple\/brain\u2014which have a mild and not at all unpleasant taste.<\/p>\n
Because osage orange is dioecious, that is, its male and female parts are on separate plants, not every tree<\/p>\n
produces fruit. Only females will.<\/p>\n
Speaking of, a female of another species is who was responsible for the exquisite use of osage orange in the<\/p>\n
Baker Center arrangements. Park District horticulturist Sharon Hanson collected the fruits this year, as she<\/p>\n
has in past years, from area hedgerows and roadsides. Then, working with hort colleagues Brian Welz, Percy<\/p>\n
Williams and John Hildebrand, the decorations were placed on light poles, window boxes and planters.<\/p>\n
The arrangements, which include lots of other locally harvested materials too, will be on display until after<\/p>\n
New Years. If you get a chance, stop by and see how many different plants and plant parts you can identify.<\/p>\n
I’ll bet there’s at least one you’ll know, now.<\/p>\n
And that’s a good thing.<\/p>\n
Pam Otto is the manager of nature programs and interpretive services. She can be reached at 630-513-4346<\/p>\n