In the cool weeks of fall, hedge apples can be found on the ground in many parts of the country. They are also known as Osage oranges, but unlike oranges they are inedible. They should not be fed to animals or humans, and they are said to cause skin irritation when handled without gloves. However, you can use them in a number of interesting, decorative and practical ways. I have an abundant source for hedge apples, and I have used them to create colorful textured centerpieces, porch decor and more.
Create a Unique Centerpiece for the Dining Table
Fresh green hedge apples are great to use with other natural decor to create unique centerpieces for indoor and outdoor tables. Collect bright green specimens without brown marks, and place them in a bowl along with miniature pumpkins and gourds. The colors will look phenomenal together. When the hedge apples begin to turn brown, remove them immediately since they will smell extremely bad if they are allowed to rot.
I also use hedge apples to decorate my porch for fall. I fill a woven fruit basket with miniature white and orange pumpkins, gourds and pretty green hedge apples. Use them to add texture and unique design to otherwise common porch decor. If space allows, use a bale of hay as a natural table, and place the basket of hedge apples, pumpkins and gourds in the center. Add a couple of chairs to create an inviting outdoor area for relaxing and watching the world go by.
Repel Spiders in the Basement and Garage
People have been using hedge apples to repel spiders in their basements, garages and outbuildings for decades. They swear by their pest repelling abilities. However, according to the University of Illinois Extension, they are not an effective insect repellent. They contain components that work to repel insects when concentrated, but not in their natural form. I still place them in my garage and shed in the fall when spiders begin coming in, and like many other people, they work for me. Unlike chemical products, they are free and completely natural. They are worth trying, even if they do not work as well as chemical products.
Decorate a Scary Pumpkin with a Big Green Brain
Each fall my daughter and I carve pumpkins just before Halloween. We do not create the usual pumpkins with triangle eyes and jagged smiles. We like to carve scary pumpkins, and the more unusual they are, the better they look on our front porch. After the stem broke off of one of our scary pumpkins, my daughter had a creative idea. She wanted to use one of my hedge apples to create a brain. Hedge apples look like brains, and it worked quite well to complete her scary pumpkin. It fit perfectly into the opening, and it was by far the most unique pumpkin on our porch.
Sources: University of Illinois Extension and Personal and Professional Design and Crafting Experience
