A man recently told me he is cutting "a lot of osage trees" behind his house. Western NY state. I have never seen Osage here. I tried to question him about it but he seemed to be getting frustrated. I'm thinking he meant Ash trees.

Osage trees grow in about 37 states of the lower 48, including parts of NY. We got lots here in Ohio.

I know a friend in Long Island has osage on his property. I have not seen it upstate but that doesn't mean it isn't there.

It does grow here in western NY.

I have seen osage trees in orange cty ny.

I've seen it in Tompkins County.

Yep it’s scattered around our area of the finger lakes. Actually have some in my garage I picked up when the power company did some clearing and piled it up.

We've got a lot of hedge apple in this part of WV. Your thread made me curious so I searched Google and found this distribution map of where it's common.

I know of one Osage tree in NYC, right next to a graveyard

2 large hedge trees on my nephews farm in Cayuga county/King Ferry

There is a walkway on the Cornell University Campus lined with Bois d'arc

I'd be a bit suspicious of your distribution map. It shows it growing in the far NE corner if Iowa. I live/hunt/grew up in that exact area and have never seen a osage tree growing here ever.

https://naturalresources.extension .iastate.edu/forestry/iowa_trees/trees/osage_orange.html

Copy and paste this by removing space between extension and iastate. Can't seem to get away from this issue with url attachments.

George, what's your point? I just see a link to ISU extension.

I know of a grove in Montgomery ny. Old mansion ruins. Off limits.

I bought some osage from a guy in Macedon NY many years ago. There is some growing in a residential area in Webster near Adams Road and the state cut a bunch of it while clearing for power lines along a state road near the casino in Tyre a few years ago. Is it prevalent? No. Is it around? Yes. It would be interesting to know how many others have noticed it in their local area or have harvested some.

My Trees of New York book says we have it in the southern half of NY but Macedon is pretty far north, so the book got that wrong.

Would 'northern' trees tend to have tighter growth rings?

Alot of farmers used Osage as a hedgerow tree in the 60s. Seems like they're tearing them out everywhere now. We had them in many spots in WNY and in Niagara county.

watch out for them thorns!

I've seen a few around Eden and Evans in WNY.

My point, Bruce, is that osage does grow many places in Iowa, and it seemed to surprise you did have a question about that.

George, I live here, and I know they grow here, just pretty much all south of interstate 80 across the center of the state. The best bow wood that is plentiful in the north is Black Locust.

Yes the do grow in WNY. There is a Grove on Winspear off Clinton and along the Clsrence bike path. Problem is that our growing season is so short. The annual rings are very tight, making it suboptimal for self bows. It can be sawn into dimensional lumber for lamination or bamboo backed blanks.

The book "Wood Eternal" by Fred Tarpley, is an in-depth book dedicated to the history, usage, native habitat and dispersion of osage. I quickly leafed through and found a few things in regards to New York state. I'm sure there is more.

"The naturalized range has been described as far north as New England and upstate New York and all the way westward into the alkaline plains..."

"New York's Great Trees. Among the Osage orange trees listed as the great trees of New York City are those in Knolls Crescent, Souyhen Duyull, in the Bronx; those linked to notable people in an Osage orange grove on Staten Island: others at a historic landmark in Crecheron Park, Bayside, Queens: and a stand of trees near Lemon Creek on Staten Island, reportedly planned by Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of Central Park."

"In New York state, the Osage orange is usually a much smaller tree than elsewhere, often a large shrub. Preferring rich moist bottom lands in its native Southern habitat, the Osage orange, in the east, grows under a variety of conditions as a hedge plant. The tree was once classified as a plant with "no commercial importance" in New York State."

It doesn't have much commercial value here in Pa either, but it still makes great bows :^)

Pretty good book, btw. More info about osage than you'll likely ever need.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=Wood+Eternal+Fred+Tarpley&_sacat=0&_sop=15

I twenty or so growing in an old drainage ditch on the eastern edge of Niagara County. Only ones I have ever seen.

Really? Osage grows on the Eastern border of NH and MA? On the coast? I have never seen it there. Of course, that doesn't mean it isn't there. Jawge

Jawge, all kinds of stuff gets/got transplanted as hedgerows. It's why this area is lousy with Russian Olive - invasive species that is a nightmare to get rid of. We burned literally tons of it on our club property, and still have more to deal with.

Dana, I have wild rose all over my property. It's good for arrows but how many arrows can I make. Jawge

Jawge, start bundling it and selling it as 'Jawges' Hand-selected Premium' rosebush shafting ;-)

It grows in Ontario Canada.

A friend who was a professional wood turner had a friend who had osage trees, and some of them were enormous. He did everything he could to buy one from him. But the guy would not budge, he just liked the way the wood burned in his fireplace during our cold winters...

Yes. Osage Orange does indeed grow in upstate New York. I've harvested several logs from my sister's property in Erie County near Hamburg. I made excellent bows from premium staves. Yes, the rings are tighter than southern grown trees due to the harsh winters, but my favorite bow which I use all the time came from her property. I have heard it also grows near the Finger Lakes in Tompkins, Yates and Schuyler Counties as well but have not personally seen any. Sadly most people who have this on their property don't know what they have and are repulsed by the stink the rotting fruits give off. They have it removed and sent to landfills. I've also seen a bunch growing along 18-mile Creek near Evans when I fish there. You can see it from the creek and I have never seen any of it harvested. I also know a friend who has a source in the Geneva area. He's built several great bows from there. So don't listen to anyone who says the wood from northern climes is inferior.

There are some on Long Island , Suffolk county , village of Bellport

Very interesting guys!

I’ve always assumed Osage Orange grew everywhere, bc farmers planted them for hedgerows. A lot cheaper than barbed wire back in the day.

That doesnt really show it, but its very common in central ky, pretty rare in eastern ky

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