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Author Topic: Identifying Osage in the winter ?  (Read 3555 times)

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Offline IrishMonk

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Identifying Osage in the winter ?
« on: January 05, 2011, 01:58:03 pm »
I need to harvest some staves soon so I can start the process. I grew up around Osage, and can easily ID one when it's bearing fruit... but can anyone share some tips on spotting them in the winter ? thanks...
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Identifying Osage in the winter ?
« Reply #1 on: January 05, 2011, 02:25:32 pm »
Look for old fruit under trees. Also the smaller branches have thorns.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline hook

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Re: Identifying Osage in the winter ?
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2011, 04:15:04 pm »
thick gnarly twigs, drooping crown, thorns on branches and some younger trees you can see orange in between bark fissures.
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Offline Hrothgar

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Re: Identifying Osage in the winter ?
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2011, 09:32:35 pm »
Osage tends to grow in a clump--maybe as many as 4,5,6, trunks. Look for the short thorns. The hedge balls don't matter, only the female tree produces them. You might pull off some bark or bust a limb--if you can :)  the wood should be orange or rusty colored.
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Offline osage outlaw

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Re: Identifying Osage in the winter ?
« Reply #4 on: January 05, 2011, 09:50:32 pm »
Look for a stump or a tree that fell over.  A lot of time the second growth has great rings in it and grows straight. 
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Offline iowabow

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Re: Identifying Osage in the winter ?
« Reply #5 on: January 05, 2011, 10:59:52 pm »
bark is orange/brown roots are bright orange (can be identified be walking near a creek where roots are exposed) the small limbs have thorns. By now the fruit has been eaten by the squirrels but the remains will be left with white and light green pulp arranged on the ground in the area of a one foot circle. good luck
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Offline IrishMonk

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Re: Identifying Osage in the winter ?
« Reply #6 on: January 05, 2011, 11:15:08 pm »
After my last post I went to walk around by the elementery school I went to as a kid ( 25 years ago ), because I remember the 'horse apples' along the creek near by. Sure enough there they were... at least 15-20 of them in sight. There were several long straight mature limbs and trunks. Not much wind here, as the creek is in a slight valley with houses up on either side. The problem is that this is city property, and in a park of sorts.
The good news is that I saw a few 'horse apples' (that's what we called them growing up) floating in the creek. And the creek leads to a forested area that is very secluded... not part of the park. So i figure over 25+ years of Osage fruit floating down stream, I should find some waiting for me there. However, it was getting dark so I'll have to go look another day. Sunday probably.
Anyway, thnx for the replies.
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Offline iowabow

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Re: Identifying Osage in the winter ?
« Reply #7 on: January 06, 2011, 08:04:15 am »
you might want to contact the park director, I had a forest program drawn up for my woods and they recommended cutting out all of the OO.maybe they plan to remove them just ask for one
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Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: Identifying Osage in the winter ?
« Reply #8 on: January 06, 2011, 09:52:14 am »
Osage is so distinctive once you are familiar with it you can spot it a fence row hundreds of yards away in summer or winter. In the summer the leave have a dark green shine to them, often in contrast to the trees around. In the winter and viewed from a distance in the sun the tree will have a slightly yellow brown look compared to the more grey trees around it.

It will take you a bunch of osage cutting to recognize it like I do but I can spot osage trees easily at 300 yards across an open field on a sunny day.
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Offline ohma

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Re: Identifying Osage in the winter ?
« Reply #9 on: January 06, 2011, 10:21:14 am »
like Eric said look for that distinctive bark color.
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Offline Granite Mtn

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Re: Identifying Osage in the winter ?
« Reply #10 on: January 06, 2011, 01:09:48 pm »
It looks like osage does in the summer, however it may have snow or ice clinging to the branches.
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Offline hook

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Re: Identifying Osage in the winter ?
« Reply #11 on: January 06, 2011, 01:26:45 pm »
it also sneers and mocks me when I look at it! ;)
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Offline Sidewinder

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Re: Identifying Osage in the winter ?
« Reply #12 on: January 06, 2011, 10:42:06 pm »
Irish that sounds promising. I bet you find something worthwhile in there. If its near a creek you should have good grwoth rings. I went and harvested some today. I am gonna start a new thread so I don't hijack yours.
 I would recommend you take some shelac with you so you can seal the ends and control checking. remember the more mass it has when its soaking wet and then cut, the more you have to fight checking so seal it and split it as soon as possible once you get it down.  Good luck and I hope to hear of a big haul for you in the near future.    Danny
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Offline sailordad

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Re: Identifying Osage in the winter ?
« Reply #13 on: January 06, 2011, 11:05:47 pm »
for me i do it like all other bow woods in the winter time
i go in my garage and look up in the rafters  ;D
other than that,i havent a clue never seen a hedge tree in my life that i am aware of
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Offline rwaterman00

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Re: Identifying Osage in the winter ?
« Reply #14 on: January 07, 2011, 06:36:32 pm »
well the trunks are that orageish color with thorns on the sm branches.
the fruit isnt always a good indicator. in the fall. not all trees get the fruit.
i know i am under them when the thorns poke up through my crocks(sandles)
my dad used to change alot of bicycle tubes when i would ride near those trees when i was a kid. lol
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