You may know them as, Hedge Apple, Hedge Ball, Horse Apple, Green Brains, Monkey Balls or Mock Orange but they are all one in the same.
Growing up I always knew them as Monkey Balls and we used them inside the house to keep spiders and bugs away. To this day, when I am able to get my hands on some I still place them around the house to ward of the creepy crawlers. For me, they most definitely work as a natural insect repellant. They also work outside around your house to ward away nasty critters as well.
If you use them for anything or make a decoration with them I would love for you to share a picture and story too.
Provided by: SmallRecipe.com
Categories: Dessert
Ingredients:
| – osage oranges |
| – small tin plates |
Steps:
- You may know them as, Hedge Apple, Hedge Ball, Horse Apple, Green Brains, Monkey Balls or Mock Orange but they are all one in the same.
- Or you can purchase them in certain areas for a small price.
- Squirrels enjoy eating the seeds out of the Osage Oranges.
An osage orange is made up of a network of seeds woven together with a a fibrous membrane laden with creamy white “sticky” sap. The squirrels work at getting the seeds out and love eating them. - Horses love eating them too.
- Some people use them in making wreaths.
- Here they are used as a Christmas table decoration.
- This is a beautiful display of Osage Oranges in a fall decorative display.
- Another beautiful decorative display made with osage oranges.
- The centuries-old Osage-orange tree that reigns over Patrick Henry’s home in Red Hill has been dethroned.
The 2011 National Register of Big Trees stripped the Red Hill tree of its title as the largest of its species in the United States in July and bestowed the mantle upon co-champions, an Osage-orange in Alexandria that resides on property once owned by George Washington, and another in New Castle, Del.
Red Hill’s Osage-orange was first nominated for the title in 1969.
In national competition, big trees win points for circumference, height and crown spread.
And while there’s no doubt that the Osage-orange tree at the Patrick Henry National Memorial is stout — it’s 27 feet around — its crown has been overshadowed. The New Castle Osage crown has a spread of 85 feet, and the Alexandria Osage crown is 90 feet, according to the national big tree registry.
The average crown spread of the Red Hill tree, according to the registry, is 64 feet.
For more info:http://www.americanforests.org/our-programs/bigtree/
How do you make a hedge-apple hedge?
Recipe for a hedge-apple hedge. The hedge will be made from Hedge Apple. Early settlers planted the Hedge Apple (Osage Orange) which is in the same family as the Mulberry, as hardy hedgerows and the trees can grow to 50 feet high if left unpruned. The tree is very thorny and when pruned to be quite dense it is very effective as a livestock fence.
What are hedge apples?
Hedge apples are the fruit of the Osage-Orange tree. This is a rather small tree that stays short in stature. In the spring, the tree grows beautiful green flowers. In the fall, hedge apples develop and when ripe, fall from the tree.
How to plant hedge apples around your house?
Here is what you need to do: simply gather the hedge apples and place them around the foundation of your home. You don’t need to bring them inside, you can just place them around the outside.
When are hedge apples ready to pick?
This is a rather small tree that stays short in stature. In the spring, the tree grows beautiful green flowers. In the fall, hedge apples develop and when ripe, fall from the tree. By early October, you can find hedge apples all over the ground where Osage-Orange trees are present. Can you eat hedge apples?