Hedge tree

This is one of three hedge trees on our drive. I don't know how old it is but it has a circumference of about 15 feet at a height of three feet. The hedge tree is also known as the Osage orange, Maclura pomifera. The wood is extremely hard, you almost have to drill a hole to get a nail in. Once upon a time this tree was used for fence posts, hence the common name. It is dioecious and the fruits are balls of seeds about five inches across that contain a milky fluid. Fortunately all our trees are male. The fruits make an awful mess when they fall and are burst.