Tree Description:
0-033 This picturesque tree is the largest Osage-orange (Maclura pomifera) in Oak Ridge, and at nearly 16 feet in circumference it probably is the largest in Springfield. We suspect it was planted in 1865, when the Osage-orange hedge (see 0-006) was planted around the old part of the cemetery, but it escaped hedging and was able to grow naturally to full size. It is a male tree so it does not produce hedge-apples. The tree has rock-hard wood and its thorny nature made it useful for hedging in the mid-1800s, prior to the invention of barbed wire. It was the first plant species introduced into cultivation by the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Be sure to note the artistic nature of its trunk and bark.
♥ Adopted by Guy & Edie Sternberg ♥
Location:
39.824557 N, 89.661537 W
Map:
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oakridgecemeterytrees.com 