What kind of tree is this?

[lexustami]

Hello all,

I live in Ohio and we have these trees that look like they have big green tennis balls on them. What kind of tree is it?

Thanks.

Tami

 

[bluebird]

what, no pics? My first guess is Osage Orange (hedge-apples)

Are they lumpy? http://hedgeapple.com/

 

[sgtsheart]

what, no pics? My first guess is Osage Orange (hedge-apples)

Are they lumpy? http://hedgeapple.com/

Thanks for posting that link, bluebird. I kinda thought that's what they were talking about. Here they call them horse apple and the SO calls em bordark (sp?) which really confused me, but now I understand. His family is cajun french.

Now I know what to do with all those funky looking fruits that are everywhere in the summer!

 

[Buff Shallots]

"Horse Apples" - I didn't know that was a tree. I thought it was what horses leave behind... (honestly).

 

[sgtsheart]

"Horse Apples" - I didn't know that was a tree. I thought it was what horses leave behind... (honestly).

Well, there's that too!

These things don't look much better, but hey! according to that link they can be used to rid a home of spiders, so I'm all for em no matter what they look like!

 

[peeps7]

LOL!!!

 

[Botprof]

The scientific name of the tree is Maclura pomifera and has these common names Osage Orange [because the Osage Indians made a orange dye from it]; Hedge Apple [because it was used in windbreak hedges]; Horse Apple [because horses will eat the fruit]; Mock Orange [because the fruit looks like an orange except is green]; and finally "Bois d'Arc" [usually pronounced by us as bowdarc--it is French and I don't know the correct French pronounciation--but it literally means "wood of the bow" and makes very good bows.]

It also makes good fence posts that will not rot. However, it can only be cut green--once it is dry--it will burn up a chain and bar of a chain saw and not be cut!javascript:insert_text('',%20'');

 

[Carri]

"Horse Apples" - I didn't know that was a tree. I thought it was what horses leave behind... (honestly).

Sometimes we call them "road apples".

 

[Rio_Lindo_AZ]

Wow, I've never seen something so wierd looking on a tree. I should get one!!!