Wood ? Ever heard of Osage Orange?

[Ashmont]

I also have about a cord and a half already split in STL. I have been reading up on it and it is a cousin is mulberry which I used and liked. Been wanting to try it just dont have time while doing a home project. When it is dry sunny and warm the split wood has a pretty distint yellow orange hue... Anybody else seen heard used this wood? I do know it does some poppin while burning but not bad.

http://www.gpnc.org/osage.htm

[Coach_Mac]

If it's anything like Agent Orange I would stay away from it.

I'll give the same advice for Soilent Green.

[iamuzzyhunter]

Having grown in on a farm in Kansas, we seemed to have plenty of Osage Orange or Hedge as we also called it. It has a high BTU content and does quite a bit of popping for sure when burning. But I haven't used it for smoking only heating purposes.

[orangeblood]

Commonly called bois d'arc in Texas.

Very dense wood - probably high BTUs. I have never tried it for smoking. It is so dense that is hard to cut and split. I dont like the litter (horse apples) from these trees.

[Bigdog]

2 schools of thought here:

1) It gives off a potentially poisonous gas and should not be used.

2) Best stuff there is, be quiet about it, and let people believe in #!.

I am not sure which one is right. I have heard both.

[Ashmont]

Originally Posted by Bigdog

2 schools of thought here:

1) It gives off a potentially poisonous gas and should not be used.

2) Best stuff there is, be quiet about it, and let people believe in #!.

I am not sure which one is right. I have heard both.

I think I am gonna try just a little bit Higher BTU get up you temp faster then mix with another wood.

This is what I found:




Hedgeapple 101

• Hedgeapples are not poisonous. However, Hedgeapples have suffocated livestock by lodging in their esophagus.
• Very often, a Hedgeapple is incorrectly referred to as a Hedge Ball, Horse Apple, Green Brains, Monkey Balls or Mock Orange. In Texas, they call them Horse Apples, in fact they write poems about them (click here for the poem). Thank you Nancy for letting us post it.
• The hedge tree has several names, Osage Orange (most popular) and Bodark (French) and Maclura pomifera (scientific name). Naturalist, Jim Mason has posted a very professional page about Osage Orange.
• The Osage Orange is native to a limited area centered on the Red River valley in southern Oklahoma and northern Texas.
• Strangely the oldest and biggest Osage Orange tree is in Virginia. Why isn't it in its native states? I challenge the people of Oklahoma and Texas to find an older and bigger Osage Orange tree and take your rightful place.
• Not all of the Osage Orange trees will have fruit because hedge trees are either male or female.
• Osage Orange is a cousin to the mulberry tree.
• It is rumored that During WWII GI's were fed hedgeapples due to food shortages. If anyone knows the details on this, please email or put in the guestbook.
• Hedge Wood has several top characteristics:
• Has highest strength for primitive bows used in archery. For more information see Mike Easter's Osage Orange page. He is as devoted to Osage Orange tree as I am.
• Highest in rot resistance without additives.
• Dried hedge is highest in BTU's when used as firewood. Hedge wood is the closest to a piece of coal as you can get. Check this link out to see which dried wood has the most BTU's. Mr. Hedgeapple is No. 1 here too!
• Green Hedge puts on the most spectacular light show when burned in a fireplace. Occasionally, I would put some green hedge in our fireplace and watch the fireworks. It emits sparkles constantly and some can go over a yard in distant. There are never large pops, just a constant blevy of very small sparks that would go through the fireplace screen. They were not large enough to mark clothes or carpet when they land. It is not recommend to use green hedge as firewood unless in a sealed stove. However, dried hedge is much more quiet, safer, and has more BTU's than any other dried wood. As with all woods, you still should use a protective screen or shield between the fireplace and the room.
• Could Hedge wood be the best for making string musical instruments?
• Gary Woodall thinks it might be. Check out his instruments (Guitar, Mandolin) Move over famed violin maker, Antonio Stradivari, Gary is here!!
• There is an person in Americus, Ks who makes Harps from Osage Orange because he believes it is the most dimensionally stable of all woods when aged and placed under strain.
• Hedge wood is an attractive yellow wood. Check the pens by Mimosa Custom Pens.

[The_Kapn]

I bought some "Osage Orange" pellets for my FEC a few years ago.
Thought they were from an "Orange" tree, which is really great smoke wood.
WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did some chicken and ribs.
Turned the bones a gloss black like I have never seen before.
Actually, some presentation possibilites there--but really different.

Taste was bitter.
No other way to describe it.
It is hard to get strong smoke flavor in an pellet pooper, so that was a surprise.

I threw away about $30 worth of pellets which I have never done before or since.
Not impressed.

But, there are folks that love it.

Test it on some chicken since poultry absorbs flavors so easily and make up your own mind.

Let us know.

TIM

[WestTexasRancher]

It is hard to get started burring, and great to use when your heating your house with wood, burns very hot.

[ZILLA]

Make a Bow with it. As in Bow and Arrow.

[bbqbull]

We have some just down the road from us here.
They produce a rough looking lime green fruit in the fall.
Folks put them in their basements ect as they supposedly drive away spiders but the give off a slight odor and wifey dont like them.

[Rich Parker]

Originally Posted by bbqbull

We have some just down the road from us here.
They produce a rough looking lime green fruit in the fall.
Folks put them in their basements ect as they supposedly drive away spiders but the give off a slight odor and wifey dont like them.

My in laws put one or two in their travel trailer and it seems to keep things out of there too.

[smokey fin]

We call them Bowdark trees here in Texas. Not sure about the spelling.

[Jaberwabee]

I know some people that use it for smoking and they have produced some good Q. They swear by it. I do know, like everyone has said, it burns crazy hot.

[Hugh Jorgan]

I would love to have a 6 - 8 ft piece for a bow stave. Think we can work up some sort of barter?

[Hugh Jorgan]

Originally Posted by Hugh Jorgan

I would love to have a 6 - 8 ft piece for a bow stave. Think we can work up some sort of barter?

SERIOUSLY! pm or message or e-mail me if this could be a possibility, that tree takes a long time to grow. That should make for quite the smoking experience.

Seriously, about the bow stave, pm me for a telly #. You would not believe how hard I need to get an osage stick. All the trees around here, were planted for fence lines, they are gnarled and nasty.

Don't burn it in your tee pee, it will pop out of the hearth and could set your bedroll on fire.