What is Osage orange (also known as hedge apple or horse apple)?

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ForwardPlant Team · Accepted Answer

Osage orange (Maclura pomifera) is a deciduous tree native to the south-central United States. It's known for its distinctive, large, spherical, bumpy green fruit, often called "hedge apples," which are not truly edible for humans but are a food source for some animals. The wood is exceptionally dense, durable, and rot-resistant, making it historically valuable for fence posts and bows. Its thorny branches also made it popular for creating living fences or "hedges" before the advent of barbed wire.

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