Hedge apples are mostly used as ornamental fruits. It is hard to get out some of the seeds inside the pulp when unsoaked. The seeds can be eaten but require at least 24 hours of soaking to make them soft. The hedge apple is inedible not because of its ugly taste and appearance but because of the latex, the fruit secrets that can irritate the human skin.Īnything that can harm the outside of the human body can hurt the inside too.
The straighter answer is, hedge apples, also known as Osage oranges, are inedible. The hedge apple or Maclura pomifera is a conversation starter online due to its alleged insect-repelling capability. It is a small green fruit that has a ridge-like exterior similar to rolled-up crumpled paper. While also called an Osage orange, hedge apples only have a distant relationship to the orange fruit family but are actually a member of the mulberry family, Moraceae. Hedge apple plant was told to be the “ best fencing material available,” according to Illinois College Biology instructor Professor Jonathan and Prairie Farmer editor John Wright back in the 80s.
As with its name, the plant is commonly used as a hedge.ĭue to its high survivability rate and poor soil and weather conditions, the plants require low maintenance, making them good natural fences.Īside from being a durable plant, its wood is sturdy and has a nice exterior opposite to the fruit, according to the Iowa State University’s Department of Horticulture publication “ Facts and Myths Associated with Hedge Apples.”
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