Osage Oranges

Few Missouri trees have histories that are more interesting than the Osage orange. These trees are probably most noticeable at this time of year due to the large bright green fruit – called “hedge apples” or “Osage oranges” – that appear on the trees in late summer and early fall. Also known as hedge, hedge apple or bois d’arc trees; these thorny trees are frequently associated with the overgrown and neglected edges of pastures, fields and old farmsteads. In most settings, hedge trees appear to be little more than scrub vegetation in forgotten corners of the landscape.