When Daniel Freeman homesteaded the land that Homestead National Monument of America now sits on, he included a row of Hedge Apple/Osage Orange trees. The trees remain on the property to this day and can be enjoyed by guests walking the restored prairie.
Many Homesteaders intertwined Hedge Apple trees to create perimeter fences that were 'horse high and hog tight'. There is no evidence that Daniel Freeman used his trees in this way.
Lewis and Clark were introduced to the Osage Orange by a French Trader who resided in the St. Louis area. The trader acquired the tree from the Osage Tribe who used the strong bark of the tree to craft bows. Lewis promptly sent seedlings to Thomas Jefferson. To this day you can find Osage Orange Trees on the grounds of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello home.
Image photo: Hedge Apple tree on the property of Homestead National Monument of America NPS/AK
Image Text: "so much do the (Native American Indians) esteem the wood of this tree for the purpose of making their bows, that they travel many hundred miles in quest of it." Meriwether Lewis to Thomas Jefferson, March 26 1804
#Plant #Tree #OsageOrange #HedgeApple
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