Hedge (Osage orange)? What is it?

This is encouraging. I had a tree growing in the yard that blew over in Sandy and it had the mustard heartwood. I didn't know what it was at the time but I'm thinking mulberry/osage now. I'll have to find it in the stacks and ID it

Have you tried soaking some chips in water yet?

Another way to come at it, if you have a magnifying glass and a sharp knife, is to take a clean slice across the end grain so you can can get a good look at the grain structure. Here are two pics taken from the relevant pages on wood-database.com:


Mulberry:



Osage Orange:


The pores on mulberry are larger, more open and more evenly distributed throughout the growth rings, whereas the pores on Osage are smaller, bunched together in groups and sort of linked up in what look like small chains.

Your in Iowa so your in the range for Hedge.

Hedge grow real crooked, but makes a 100 year old fence post and will not rot.

The fruit that falls off a Hedge looks like "brains" and are the size of softballs.

When I was pheasant hunting I would see a lot of it, particularly in Southern Iowa.

They do grow straight too. I cut up a trunk that was about 25' long and 30" diameter at the bottom, slight curve since it was growing at a 45* angle but otherwise straight and branch free.

Based on Jons 2 micro photos and the picture of the rounds. Between the two I would say Osage. The micro pic shows ring porous wood and the growth rings were easily visible.
Thats the only clue I can wing/decipher.
But Im just waiting for the water test results.
I thought the bark on both Mulberry and Osage was deeply fissured like willow. But this wood is lesser so.???

if the water test comes back clear, what about redbud? dunno if they grow that big in the OP's area.

Applesister said:

I thought the bark on both Mulberry and Osage was deeply fissured like willow. But this wood is lesser so.???

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Depends on age. The bark is smoother, the fissures shallower, on small/younger trees.

Second growth from a stump will also often be straighter / "younger" looking, with bigger growth rings. Great shots of the growth rings there, Jon!

I vote mulberry. I just cut some up a couple of weeks ago. If I saw the tree I could tell you for sure. Osage is a darker yellow and mulberry is a bright yellow.

Either way, they are both yellow which is good for burning.

I can't say for certain, but it looks more like Osage to me. In the first pic posted, there's a log on the left where a branch grew into the trunk, this is very typical of Osage.
I have an Osage in the back yard that has the branches growing into the trunk, just like that. I've cut plenty of Mulberry and have them growing in the yard and have never seen them with branches formed together like that. I'm sure they can and do grow together on Mulberry, but it's not typical.
Another thing I see that makes me think it's Osage is in the pics of the splits showing many knots from branch formation. Osage will sprout branches randomly from the trunk or the middle of any large branch. I can't remember ever seeing a Mulberry sprout branches directly from the trunk.
I keep the lower branches trimmed on my Osages every spring and by the fall, new branches have formed next to where I cut the old ones. I have one Osage that looks like a Medusa from trimming it low and forcing the growth to the top of the tree.

The bark does kind of look like Mulberry, but I've seen plenty of Osage bark look like that. I find that Osage bark usually has an orange hue only at the base and on exposed roots.

The Osage in the middle of this pic has the trunk growing together like that. Sorry about the quality, but I ain't going up there in this cold to take a pic of a tree.

Is there a sageberry? Hedgeapple and little berry get together.

That is good to hear. A good test to decipher those two species. Ive read they are hard to tell apart. Not the trees but the wood. lol.

It was good of you Sinngetreu to follow up on your water test even though you have been under the weather. Thanks

If you get the chance to see some of the smaller branches there should be thorns on Osage.

Oh yea Hello. I'm new here.

That is all I have on my property Osage Orange and Mulberry but its mainly small 15 year old stuff.

Sinngetreu said:

Welcome to the forum!
I didn't really get a chance to get a good look at the small branches, but now that its been sitting around for a week +, its definitely Osage. The heart wood turned a deep orange/brown color and I picked up a last little bit at the compost pile that included the base of the tree and it has the characteristic orange bark that gives it away. Also, the water with a few chips in it turned into a tea color after a few days. Its awesome stuff, I cant wait until it dries.

Fun Fact: The one piece that I took inside and split did not turn dark orange, it stayed a rich yellow. Not sure about the science of that.

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You'll find the same thing happens if you stand a freshly cut round on end. A few days later the top end has darkened significantly but the end on the ground will still appear freshly cut. I'm guessing oxidation (of whatever compound is the "yellow") from exposure to sunlight.

Sinngetreu said:

I did notice that. It's pretty interesting.

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I'm burning some long dead OO right now that I cut in a dozed pile 2 days ago. Even years after dead, it's still bright yellow just under the surface. If you're ever in an area with OO and see what looks on the outside like completely worthless rotten wood, be sure to pick it up and judge its density. Long dead OO that has taken on the worthless look described is the best firewood you can get for immediate burning. It's unbelievable how shallow the deteriorated surface is on long-dead OO. And it doesn't matter if it's sheltered or not. If it's been dead for years and the bark and sapwood are gone - it's dry, as water simply does not penetrate into the heartwood.

mliiiwit said:

I'm burning some long dead OO right now that I cut in a dozed pile 2 days ago. Even years after dead, it's still bright yellow just under the surface. If you're ever in an area with OO and see what looks on the outside like completely worthless rotten wood, be sure to pick it up and judge its density. Long dead OO that has taken on the worthless look described is the best firewood you can get for immediate burning. It's unbelievable how shallow the deteriorated surface is on long-dead OO. And it doesn't matter if it's sheltered or not. If it's been dead for years and the bark and sapwood are gone - it's dry, as water simply does not penetrate into the heartwood.

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I cut some long dead Osage that had holes bored all over the outside surface but the bugs never got past the outer layer. I split a piece near a crotch and a swarm of carpenter ants came pouring out. They weren't eating the wood but evidently overwintering in there. Any other species of wood on our farm with that many bore holes would have been a rotten punky mess on the inside. The Osage heartwood was solid as a rock and still mustard yellow when split. There are Osage fence posts on this farm, cut from the same hedge row, that are twice my age and still hard as a rock.

Hedge burns hot and that makes the wife happy. What makes the wife happy makes my life easier. Hedge makes my life easier. How is that for reasoning. I love Hedge firewood!

D8Chumley said:

This is encouraging. I had a tree growing in the yard that blew over in Sandy and it had the mustard heartwood. I didn't know what it was at the time but I'm thinking mulberry/osage now. I'll have to find it in the stacks and ID it

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Hedge trees don't blow down, they are the Chuck Norris's of the tree world. Hurricanes go around them and blow down Oak's and other soft woods.