Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Shenandoah National Park


What kind of tree is this? When we pulled into the first parking area in the Shenandoah Park it looked like we were driving through a farmers' discarded broccoli. It turned out that the fruit or nut of this tree was falling off and rolling across the parking area. I wouldn't want to get hit in the head with one of these





We saw many deer including this buck who let us take his picture. Quite the pose-what a show off!







Tomorrow we'll see if the RV fits through this tunnel.

2 comments:

  1. It will fit just drive real fast..Good pictures.

    The Tree and Its Fruit
    The yellow-green fruit are commonly call "hedge apples." They are produced by the Osage-orange (Maclura pomifera). Other common plant names include hedge apple, bodark, bois d'arc, and bowwood.
    The Osage-orange is a small- to medium-sized tree. It commonly grows 30 to 40 feet tall, occasionally as tall as 50 to 60 feet. It typically has a short trunk and a rounded or irregular crown. The leaves of the Osage-orange are a shiny medium to dark green. They turn yellow in the fall. The twigs are buff to orange-brown and are armed with 1/2-inch long spines. The stems exude a milky sap when cut. The Osage-orange is dioecious. Male and female flowers are produced on separate trees. The small, green flowers appear in May or June. The female trees produce 3- to 5- inch-diameter fruit which ripen in September or October and fall to the ground. The "hedge apple" is an aggregate fruit composed of numerous one-seeded druplets. The Osage-orange is a member of the Mulberry or Moraceae Family. Other cultivated members of this family include the mulberry and fig.

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  2. Looks a little like a Black Walnut

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