RE: MOCK ORANGE TREES - GOOD TO BURN?

angelsmom10 · Sep 28, 2003, 07:05 PM

Up the street in a city park, a mock orange (we used the call the green balls that fell off - milk balls; as they had a milky substance inside) tree fell and the city cut-up, but left it lay. DH is not sure how it would burn. Does anyone know? I know some trees are too soft and not worth burning and some just won t burn.

ForestCreature · Jul 21, 2003, 09:33 AM

angelsmom10Could that be a Mountain Ash? My mother has a Mountain Ash that gets green balls on it, it is dying a slow painful death. If that is one, they have had a big problem with borers killing then off.
Here in MI they have warning to NOT BURN them as it could spread the disease. They have gone as far as having special collection of dead Ash trees in some areas.
Aside from the disease, they tend to smoke alot while being burned.

Possibly the city can tell you better what kind of tree it is.

angelsmom10 · Jul 21, 2003, 10:15 AM

angelsmom10From what I can see searching the internet, I don t think it is the mountain ash. The fruit is green and at least the size of a softball if not bigger. It has a bumpy texture on the outside and inside it is white. They fall off the tree easy and roll down the street all the time.

Also, I ve been told that if youcut them in half and put in the basement, it keeps away spiders (ole wives tale).

mikewilley · Jul 21, 2003, 01:13 PM

angelsmom10I believe that the tree you are describing is a Boise d Arc (or as we call them here in Texas boe -dark trees). We have quite a few in north Texas, but I don t recall ever using them for firewood. Maybe now that you have a name to associate with it you can get some good info on how well it burns.

cheers,
mike

angelsmom10 · Jul 21, 2003, 01:27 PM

mikewilley

QuoteORIGINAL: mikewilley

I believe that the tree you are describing is a Boise d Arc (or as we call them here in Texas boe -dark trees). We have quite a few in north Texas, but I don t recall ever using them for firewood. Maybe now that you have a name to associate with it you can get some good info on how well it burns.

cheers,
mike

I can t seem to find any info on the internet regarding th Boise d Arc -- I d have to see a picture of the ball to see if it is the same.

mikewilley · Jul 21, 2003, 01:42 PM

angelsmom10The reason you couldn t find anything on it is that I misspelled it the first time.

Here are a few of the sites I found through Google. Since it is a hardwood, I would assume that it is hard to get lit, but once started will burn for a long time and make plenty of good cooking coals.

[8D] BTW: looks to me like its handy stuff to make duck calls and archery equipment from.

http://www.snazzduckcalls.com/call-bois_darc.html
http://www.smu.edu/anthro/collections/boisdarc.html
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlo/76R/billtext/HC00031I.HTM

mikewilley · Jul 21, 2003, 02:05 PM

angelsmom10Talked to some guys around the office about your question. The general concensus is that the reason that no one know how well bois d arc burns, is because no one in his right mind would want to try to cut it up for fire wood [:@] (since it is so hard).

That being said we all agree that it may take forever to light, but will burn hot and long once you get it started.

Enjoy

Garrett · Jul 21, 2003, 03:31 PM

angelsmom10This really sounds like what we call Osage Orange Tree. It is also very hard, beautiful wood for woodworking with the right tools. For me the bottom line is if it will burn it is good for a campfire, i am really not very picky about campfire wood, especially if it is free.

chip · Jul 21, 2003, 06:55 PM

angelsmom10Sounds like osage orange to me too.

Click [link=http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/forestry/g881.htm#specs]here[/link] for some comparisons.

I d go load up a truck full. [

]

tlhdoc · Jul 21, 2003, 09:18 PM

angelsmom10I would take it, let it sit for a year and then see how it burns.

vjm1639 · Jul 22, 2003, 08:25 AM

angelsmom10Found this on the internet...sounds like a terrific firewood...

Osage-orange trees are native to an area centered on the Arkansas and Red River valleys in southern Oklahoma and northern Texas. They derive their name from the Osage Indians. These people prized the wood from the osage-orange for its strength and elasticity. They used it primarily for making hunting bows and war clubs. The wood is strong and so dense that it will neither rot nor succumb to the attacks of termites or other insects for decades. Dried for firewood, it is the next best thing to coal.

vjm1639 · Jul 22, 2003, 08:26 AM

angelsmom10oooo...and an added plus...the " ole wives tale" may not be such a tale...

" The skin of the fruit has a pleasant, orange-peel smell. It is a large, dense, green wrinkled ball up to 6" in diameter that often persists on the tree after the leaves have fallen off. " Hedge apples" contain a chemical (2,3,4,5-tetrahydroxystilbene) that has been proven to repel many bugs: cockroaches, crickets, spiders, fleas, box elder bugs and ants. Cut the fruit in half or crush it on the driveway with your car, then place it in a dish set in the pest problem area. One piece will last for a few weeks."

angelsmom10 · Jul 22, 2003, 09:02 AM

vjm1639

QuoteORIGINAL: vjm1639
Found this on the internet...sounds like a terrific firewood...

Osage-orange trees are native to an area centered on the Arkansas and Red River valleys in southern Oklahoma and northern Texas. They derive their name from the Osage Indians. These people prized the wood from the osage-orange for its strength and elasticity. They used it primarily for making hunting bows and war clubs. The wood is strong and so dense that it will neither rot nor succumb to the attacks of termites or other insects for decades. Dried for firewood, it is the next best thing to coal.

Well I don t know about it rotting or attacks by termites/bugs. This was hollowed thru the center to a certain point. Someone has picked up the hollow pieces the rest is huge (about 3-4ft in diameter). I think I ll have DH still pick some up and try it.

News: