Question about Osage trees?

[202turkey]

I know one of you guys who collect there own trees will be able to answer. This is the first year I have cut any osage and I have two staves in my attic drying. In .my quest to make my first self bow I have been locating worthy trees and was wondering if all osage trees produce fruit? I have found some trees in groves some fruit some not. Are they like fruit trees and some not get pollinated ? Thanks Joe.

[Bowjunkie]

In osage, there are male and female trees, and only the females produce the fruit.

[202turkey]

Thanks bowjunkie, One huge old sprawling tree I found I was 99% sure but no fruit. Has two nice sucker limbs growing straight up but waited to cut as its a pretty good hike out. Of this one grove I would say only 5 out of 30 had fruits. Thanks again  Joe.

[Eric Krewson]

Drying wood in our attic is a iffy thing. In the winter it would be OK but as soon as the attic temps go about 90 degrees your wood could do some serious warping and checking. Others say they have done the same with no problem, attic drying went bad for me every time I tried it.

On osage trees, a tree may have fruit one year and the same tree might not have fruit the next. Like oak trees, some years there is a mast crop failure and trees don't produce acorns.

Osage trees without thorns are out there as well, not many but I encounter one every now and then.They will have no thorns on the tree but will put up sprouts from the stump with thorns the next year after you cut the tree.

[Black Mockingbird]

Yup...males and females and only females carry fruit...but also as Eric says it can vary year to year depending on the conditions that year...droughts,and late spring hard freezes can affect the mast....we got hit by a late hard freeze last year and a lot of the hedge here was pretty unfruitful..not all but a lot didn't carry fruit last year here in my area