Osage orange trees are resilient

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Sep 17, 2007 | by Martha Stewart New York Times Special Features

Dear Martha: I'd like to plant some Osage orange trees. Can you tell me about them?

Answer: Maclura pomifera, also called Osage orange or hedge apple, is a resilient and handsome tree that thrives in zones 4 to 9. Native to Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas, it is fast-growing with attractively fissured bark and dark-green foliage that turns yellow in fall. Its wood is very strong and rot-resistant, and not prone to any serious pests or disease. Once established, the tree can withstand drought, wetness, wind, heat, snow and ice, and even very acid soil.

At this time of year, Osage orange trees are in full fruit, their stout branches arcing downward from the weight of peculiar, chartreuse spheres. These fruits, which are 3 inches to 6 inches in diameter, consist of many individual fruitlets, giving them a textured surface. Although Osage oranges are closely related to figs and mulberries, their fruit is extremely bitter and therefore inedible. (Squirrels eat the seeds.)

Because the trees can reach 20 feet to 40 feet in height and the fruits may weigh more than 2 pounds each, safety is an issue when the fruit begins to drop in mid-fall. Be sure to site the trees away from homes, children's play areas, cars, decks and pools. Or choose fruitless male cultivars, such as Wichita or White Shield. While female Osage orange trees have thorn-covered branches, the male cultivars are thornless or have spines only on young branches.

Finally, because the tree's tolerant nature and prolific seed production can cause it to spread to public lands and forests, planting is discouraged in some places. To find out about the guidelines in your area, check with your state's cooperative extension service.

Dear Martha: Are handheld mixers adequate substitutes for stand mixers?

Answer: Though a handheld mixer can sometimes do the work of a stand mixer, the latter has several advantages. First, it's far more versatile, with attachments such as flat paddle beaters, wire whisks and dough hooks. Handheld mixers typically have only the metal beaters.

Second, a stand mixer generally contains a 400-watt to 700-watt motor, whereas handhelds muster only 200 watts to 280 watts. This means stiff cookie batter or bread dough may overtax your handheld mixer's motor. Stand mixers also have the added benefit of leaving the cook with both hands free to assemble ingredients; always turn off the mixer before scraping down the sides of the bowl.

All those advantages come at a price. Costing up to 10 times as much as a handheld, a stand mixer is a serious investment. Plus, it requires more storage space than a compact handheld mixer.

Questions should be addressed to Ask Martha, care of Letters Department, Martha Stewart Living, 11 W. 42nd Street, New York, N.Y. 10036. Questions may also be sent by electronic mail to: mslletters@marthastewart.com. Please include your name, address and daytime telephone number. Questions of general interest will be answered in this column; Martha Stewart regrets that unpublished letters cannot be answered individually. For more information on the topics covered in the Ask Martha column, visit www.marthastewart.com.

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