This is a tree with various names. Some refer to it as the bois d’arc (pronounced “bodark”), which is french for “bow wood.” It is also referred to as an Osage orange tree, hedge apple tree, and horse apple tree. All of these monikers have a basis in the properties of the tree, as we shall see in the following paragraphs. Some people dislike these trees, while others adore them, depending upon their perspectives.
The picture above is a trunk of a bois d’arc tree. The wood of this tree is extremely hard and tough, which makes it a sought after tree for cutting into fence posts. But if you intend to cut one of these trees, you had better arm yourself with plenty of sharp chains on your chainsaw, as the tough, yellowish wood of the bois d’arc will dull the chain rapidly. It is also advisable to wear long sleeves made of thick fabric, as the spines on the branches can cause painful lacerations if you are not careful.
The canopy of the bois d’arc forms a tangled mass of branches, which are armed with stout, flesh-piercing barbs. Because of the dense mass of resilient, barbed and tough wood that the tree produces, it was planted with tight spacing as a hedge row in times prior to the invention of barbed wire. It is referred to as being “horse high, bull strong, and hog tight,” an ideal specification for a farmstead hedge row. Because of the toughness and decay resistance of the wood, combined with the long, straight, resilient branches that this tree produces, it was prized as a source of wood in which to construct bows in the past, hence it’s name bois d’arc tree, or bow wood tree.
This is the fruit produced by the bois d’arc. Some call this the Osage orange, possibly because the skin emits a citrus-like scent when it begins to rot. Because the trees were often grown as a hedge, the fruit has been called a “hedge apple” by some. Because the fruit is consumed by horses, it is termed a “horse apple” by others. Osage orange, hedge apple, or horse apple, it remains that humans do not consume this fruit. But, as just mentioned, horses eat the fruit of the bois d’arc tree, as well as squirrels and cattle.
If you slice the fruit in half, which requires a stout knife, as the fruit is quit hard until it begins to rot, you will find that after a minute or two the fruit begins to “weep”, as you can see in the photograph above. Only the female tree produces the fruit, which propagates the tree through the germination of the approximately 200 seeds contained within the fruit. In the fall, the fruit begins to drop from the limbs of the tree, and when they do, watch out, as it hurts to be struck by the falling, heavy, hard fruit of the Osage orange, or bois d’arc tree.
One way to completely remove one of these trees is to burn it, stump and all. Most trees will burn to the ground only, this will emit a blue flame
like propane and burn below ground. Do not use a stump grinder here or your wallet will suffer
I grew up on a ranch in western Oklahoma and we had over 30 miles of fences. I have dug post holes for a number of bois d arc posts. (We called them bodark). My grandfather put in a bois d arc post in 1912 and it is still standing.
I understand that Kansas State University (or someone in Kansas) found thornless bois d arc trees and that they are selling the male trees for yard trees. Where can I get some?
Could someone please tell me where I can go to cut some of the wood? I am disabled, and I make walking sticks and canes for others who also have difficulties in walking. This I do to help provide for my family.
Will anyone be kind enough to direct me to a place I can aquire some of this wood?
Thank you!
What area of the country are you looking to find the wood?
Liesa,
Can you walk around, carry a saw, bend under a tree? Is NW Oklahoma to far to travel?
I grew up on a farm in Hancock county, Illinois–1930’s & 1940’s
Old hedge rows still existed but had deminished by a great deal since my youth. I noticed some Osage Orange trees in S.E. Kansas when traveling –
suspect some wild scattered Osage is in south Missouri.
Great site, thanks for the ability here to comment. I’m writing from Connecticut where one of these trees has flourished for years, suddenly today I noticed our Public Works department cut it down to the ground. I am amazed at their insensitivity as it seems rare that a tree like this would grow in Connecticut in the first place? Aren’t they rare to this area? Thanks for any help.
Jim
Jim,
According to the National Audobon Society Field Guide, the natural range of Osage-orange is in the Red River drainage of Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas; and in the Blackland Prairies, Post Oak Savannas, and Chisos Mountains of Texas. According to some authors the original range included most of eastern Oklahoma, portions of Missouri, and perhaps northwestern Louisiana. Osage-orange has been planted as a hedge in all the 48 contiguous States and in southeastern Canada. The commercial range includes most of the country east of the Rocky Mountains, south of the Platte River and the Great Lakes, excluding the Appalachian Mountains.
Very interesting, I discovered this article in a completely roundabout accidental way. I was actually researching a bois d’arc conservation area in Springfield….and discovered it was named after the nearby town which was named after the tree. And, that’s when it hit me, when I was helping to build barb wire fence as a 16 year old girl on our 160 acre ranch, we would cut down these trees to use as fence posts. The thorns though were brutal but we were told they would make the strongest fence posts known to man. We had hundreds of them and of course, they were actually all along where we were building/repairing the fence, which tells me perhaps someone had already manipulated them into a n natural fence for that particular pasture. I never knew it was spelled this way, only being told verbally they were BODARK trees….and I never ever saw this name of tree anywhere in the 28 years since. So, I enjoyed the thorough education on a tree from my distant past.
I may have to check out getting some of the fruit though to see if they really do repel insects!
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We just regrettably, cut a male bois d’arc tree today. The diameter of the tree at its base measures 38 inches. Its entire trunk was shrouded in English ivey, and it was just too close to our home’s rooftop, so it had to go. If I had realized the value of this wood for artisan purposes, I would have gladly sent out word of this before the trailer hauled it away (with tandem 16″ wheels scraping the fenders) I still have some 3-6 inch chunks of one or two of the limbs, along with random branches. Yes, the growth in the canopy was tangled and disorganized, but even my tree specialist showed no affection for it. Although it was a nuisance, I was missing it before the last section of trunk hit the ground. I admired those thick grooves in the bark. . .now wondering about its use for landscaping, mulch, etc. .?
In 2008, while working in Los Angeles as an Ozzy Osbourne impersonator, I broke my neck during a performance. The injury forced me to move back to Garland, Texas to be with my family to recover. Only partially paralyzed, I began using yardwork as physical therapy. During the yardwork, I was told to cut down two Bois D’ Arc trees and several oaks. I managed to “trim” the trees severely. I kept the wood to make small runs of custom lumber. The only things that are being made are practice swords and Frat paddles. My dad is buying 100 bf of it for a carving groupthat he is in. The wood is beautiful and worth the trouble to work it into beautiful objects. I am a fan of these trees and enjoy this site.
How can you tell the difference between bois d’arc wood posts and treated pine posts?
Does anyone know if bois d’arc wood posts were cut square 40 years ago or cut round like most corner posts are cut today?
the wind just tore one of these trees (I believe to be a male) last week. I think I will get some pieces before the trash peop[le come by.
Aroo – I live in North Texas and the post’s around here are old and all are square cut.
We have a very large fruitless & thornless Bois d’arc tree behind our home that I absolutely love. It’s huge and offers wonderful shade. It’s great for climbing too!
We have a HUGE tree in our yard and I have found this site and believe it to be the male tree. It has to be old because two of us can’t put our arms around the trunk. One limb has fallen off and I am worried about it splitting more. My husband loves to trim it and keep it healthy and we are looking for information on it. Now I want to carve stuff out of this limb!! Thanks for the info!