Wood Eternal: The Story of Osage Orange, Bois d'Arc, etc. - Paperback

by Fred Tarpley (Author)

Maclura pomifera, commonly known as Osage orange, bois d'arc, or as forty other common names is a fascinating American tree, with hundreds of usages and an intriguing history. First known outside Indians lands in 1804, he tree that had supplied Native Americans with bow wood later became the plant that fenced the prairies. Replaced by barbed wire, the tree provided the best fence posts for the thorny wire. Once a food for silkworm culture, it later served as windbreaks and shelterbelts. Nature mimicked Osage orange in technological developments that replaced the tree. But somehow the tree has survived to survive in many practical roles. This book identifies famous Osage orange trees, festivals that celebrate the tree, and famous folk linked to the trees. It answers 10,000 questions about Osage orange.