Texas native, found all over the park, but prefers dryer areas (southern half of the park). There are several nice groves along the Pileated Woodpecker trail, Copperhead trail, and Bared Owl trail.
It has many names and many uses. The scientific name is Maclura pumifera, but it is also known as Boise D’Arc (French for wood of the bow), Bow Tree, Osage Orange, Mock Orange, Hedge Apple, and Horse Apple.
The wood is super hard, 2600 on the hardness scale (Oak is only 1200). The wood has been used for furniture, pully blocks, wagon wheel spokes, and even for street paving in Fort Worth.
The wood is the most decay resistant wood in the USA. It is said to be immune to termites. It has thorns and is insect resistant and repels cockroaches. This tree produces a weird green fruit, inedible and full of sour milky sap not liked by most animals except squirrels.
Natural range of Bodark