Sweetheart Sweet Cherry Tree

Yes we have many of the tree's on our property. People from all over stop to ask about the brain ball's. It's kind of funny that some actually stop to steal an apple. We don't mind if they would, because we have hundreds every year. Lot's of history behind this tree. The biggest tree is at least 2 to 3 hundred years old. In the winter when all the leaves are gone it looks like something from a harrow movie. Just gotta love it. God bless

It is hard to find osage orange wood. The wood is beautiful for woodworking. I guess I will have to grow some of my own.

The Osage Orange tree is know for its prized hedge apples. I see these apples sold at flea markets and I'm surprised how many people buy these hedge apples.

Yes the fruit of the female Osage can be messy and yes they are large and yes they can make mess...who cares. If you've ever seen the wood that one of these trees produces, you'll be amazed at its beauty. Due to their tendency to grow in whatever direction they like, finding large runs of straight lumber is difficult. However, when you do find a nice wide long board of Osage, be prepared to pay a very high price. The wood makes a beautiful accent addition to just about any high end project you can build. The wood is very hard and has a yellow to orange coloration. If you have good sharp tools and know what you are doing, you can successfully use Osage lumber. If you want to know how to spot an Osage Orage tree just look for the orange tinged coarse bark, crooked main trunk, huge thorns and hedgeapples, if it is a female tree. Plant them near a fence row when you don't want trespassers crossing your property. These trees are the barbed wire of trees. I love em because they don't play by the traditional tree rules.

I found the other reviews very helpful. My wife and I hiked up Jasper Mtn, here in Jasper, TN and we found an old homestead on top of the mountain with a bunch of these trees around it. The ground was covered with the bumpy balls of green fruit. It is amazing that these trees have done so well in the rocky soil of this mountain. These trees looked nothing like the straight truck tree that is pictured here. My wife grabbed the tree and got a thorn in her thumb. I find it interesting that the Indians liked the wood for making their bows. I also find it interesting that the fruit can get rid of fleas. I found the post here to contain very useful information.

I came upon a small osage orange in late winter. The bark was almost kelly green and the shape dramatic with the long thorns. Really beautiful. Wish there were a dwarf cultivar.

I lived in the country for years with lots on hedge trees on the property and in the area. Bugs crawled all over the hedge apples. They did not keep away bugs at all. They are very fast growing, sturdy trees. I have witnessed how well they withstand ice storms, tornadoes, flash floods, weedwackers, digging dogs, cattle, tractors, etc., year after year. They seem to do well in drought and do well in clay soil. Osage Orange (hedge trees) are my favorite trees.

I finally found out the name of this tree and its fruit. Every fall I searched the countryside in w Pa for the tree and it's fruit. As said in some of the reviews the fruit kills insects. I put one on each window sill in my basement and garage. In three weeks ther are no spiders or flying insects. They work like magic. The however are very scarce in Pnnsylvania. I'll by a couple and plant them for the fruit.

While taking a ride in the near by country side town of Elma, New York, I pulled over when I seen these grapefruit size green balls on a lawn.I couldn"t help but notice the "brain-like surface. I asked my r who was with me if he ever seen any thing like it. He said No and we continued to drive. This was the first any only time I was down this particular street and didn"t notice any others. Well ,from that moment on, I made a plan that I would inquire, what this green thing was. Originally, we thought it might be some sort of "Nut". I stopped to two different greenhouses and neither place could give me any information. It was then that Idecided to call the Botanical Gardens and spoke with a Hulticulturist and made an appointment to see him.. When I walked in a day later, upon meeting him, he immediately said that a O sage orange and told me it was native to the midwest. That was earlier today and I finally got a name for my "new find" and checked it out on the internent. Accordingly, it does say that it will grow in our zone(zip code 14227)I plan to try and root the branch that I took off the tree(no thorns)and/or break the fruit open and plant some seeds... I am so excited because I"ve never seen anything like this before... Wish me luck guys... I"ve been known to have a green thumb... I"ve got over 40 plants in my Beauty Salon in Buffalo, New York!!!Angel

Osage Orange are striking trees, with easily identifiable bark and leaves. They are best used for borders, hedgerows or woodlots for firewood (the Osage Orange produce the most BTU per cord of firewood). They are thorny and make good hedges to keep people and larger animals - deer, cattle, horses, ect. when they are planted close together - 6 to 10 feet apart. Due to the Softball to large Grapfruit size fruit that are produced, they are very messy if planted in a yard. Some trees only produce a few fruit and other trees produce large numbers of fruit, it is just the luck of the draw. When the tree get really big (I know of one that is 50 feet tall and about 2 feet in diameter), it has a very interesting bark pattern on the trunk. Ive never heard of cattle choking on the fruit, but I guess it could happen. And this tree is not to be confused with mockorange trees which dont have any fruit.