# What is this?



## Horatio (Apr 4, 2012)

I think its Osage Orange (not sycamore, lol!) I've found the fruit in the area before, big green suckers like a combination of a tennis ball, a grapefruit, and an exposed brain. 

I sealed the wood up then thought I ought to take a pic but I'm going to lop off a bit and turn a chunky green bowl after church tomorrow.

The heartwood is very dark but lightens up quickly in the sun. Bark is bark, like an oak or mesquite, nothing special.


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## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

Your description of the fruit is spot on, but that is not Osage orange foliage. Here is a small picture I found on the web. The leaves are more oval and they are very green and shiny. 








That being said, I have no idea what tree that foliage is from.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Looks a little bit like Mango.










 







.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

No, this is the osage orange. I always thought they were on a varity of oak tree and now I find out it's bodark


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## Treeoflifestairs.com (Jan 9, 2012)

I'm always amazed just how many species of wood there is out there.


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## Horatio (Apr 4, 2012)

Steve Neul said:


> No, this is the osage orange. I always thought they were on a varity of oak tree and now I find out it's bodark


yes! and I have found those fruits in the creek bed. Can't miss them, but I don't think its the right time of year so I'm left with scratching my head to figure out where they came from. I'm just going to forget for now all about OO. 

In any case, It wasn't this stuff which is......


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## Catalina (Jun 11, 2010)

Horatio, the tree picture sure looks like Black walnut to me, same as your bowl pictures but the fruit you describe sure sounds like OO. The fruit in the first picture (tree picture) also looks like walnuts at the resolution I am getting. Osage typically makes a bright yellow sawdust that oxidizes to orange with sunlight. I have cut walnut that was green/gold that when exposed turned a soft chocolate and not the typical dark brown of most walnut. Gene


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## qbilder (Dec 19, 2010)

I think you are seeing nogal, a type of walnut specific to the southwest. It's not the same thing as eastern black walnut, nor is it like the west coat walnut varieties. It's native to SW & most common in ravines & washes & canyons. I mill some sometimes. It's beautiful stuff & often marble grained. 

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...BB34E9D7C2719632E6F50EA3BA2E2C7E6FF&first=176


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## Horatio (Apr 4, 2012)

qbilder said:


> I think you are seeing nogal, a type of walnut specific to the southwest. It's not the same thing as eastern black walnut, nor is it like the west coat walnut varieties. It's native to SW & most common in ravines & washes & canyons. I mill some sometimes. It's beautiful stuff & often marble grained.
> 
> http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...BB34E9D7C2719632E6F50EA3BA2E2C7E6FF&first=176


http://texastreeid.tamu.edu/content/TreeDetails/?id=51

Looks like you are correct. Excellent.

As far as the OO goes, I'm trying to piece together where the fruit came from. It has to be down there somewhere but I can't find it. I don't see any fruit now and am not sure what time of year they occur in. Someday, I'll figure it out but I'm content for now to play with what I've got. The Nogalito is beautiful. I turned that little bowl above green and just dabbed some wax on it late yesterday evening just to see what it would look like. It turned easily and the grain is stunning. Even an amateur hack like me can make it look half way decent.


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## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

Here in the Midwest where we have tons of OO (or hedge trees as we refer to it) you usually won't see the "hedge apples" until a little later in the fall. However, I was in the pasture a few days ago and I noticed that some of the apples were dropping already probably due to the drought. As to where it came from, it could have traveled long distances. They roll very easily and squirrels will roll them and then tear them apart to get at the seeds in the center. They will also be carried very easily by a stream. It could have even rolled downhill to where you found it. Around here, I'll usually see them bunched around brush at the bottom of hills.

Btw, that is a great looking bowl! I really like the spot of white contrasted against that dark grain.


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## Horatio (Apr 4, 2012)

Someone could have chucked it off the bridge for all I know. Being that we're in a drought, we haven't had enough rain to make the creek run in over a year.

I'm just tickled to find the nogalito! I'm going to take advice and get a book and go hiking through there and out on our other place. I was out there today collecting a downed mesquite and found a huge tree in the creek there that I have no clue about. Maybe a willow of some kind, I dunno.


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## qbilder (Dec 19, 2010)

There's a tree in south Texas that resembles a mesquite, called Texas ebony. The wood is stunning, absolutely beautiful. Not as common as mesquite but as far as I know it gets to be about the same size. I remember seeing a few on Lackland AFB when I was a young troop there many years ago. I still visit San Antonio now & again & every time i'm there I wish I had brought my chainsaw.


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## kpantherpro (Oct 3, 2011)

wow that is a nice bowl good eye on catching the grains that way, the wood is stunning


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