# Those %#&?!! big green tennis ball-like things that fall from trees!!



## frmrench (Apr 10, 2009)

They're deadly! Hit one with a glancing blow, and you're probably goin' down. And maybe it's my imagination, but I'd swear the trees sometimes lob them at me as I'm coming! Bigger hazards than cars, at least on the east coast this time of year. What the hell are they anyway??! And while I'm at it, those acorns are vicious bastids as well!


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## 2571 (Aug 20, 2009)

*Apples?*

We eat 'em here in the midwest.


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## bcl489 (Sep 11, 2009)

crab apples. i had to avoid them yesterday for 10 of 32 mi.


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## Nielly (Sep 21, 2009)

I imagine your talking about chestnuts (used to call them horse chestnuts when we were kids). Seems to be quite a few due to all the rain this year. Lots of acorns this year too. Lucky it was only a glancing blow. They're hard as rocks inside the green fuzzy layer.


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## Visitor302 (Aug 6, 2005)

Well,,,, If they're smaller than a baseball, but bigger than a golf ball, you're likely talking about wallnuts... Break that green protective coating off, and you'll see the brown, hard shell like when you see in them in the grocery store. The green keeps bugs and stuff off while on the tree, and protects the insides as they fall off.

Another possibulity you could mean hedgeapples, but the're about the size of a softball. The're big enough taht if you didn't see them you may need a visit to the optomitrist


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## Nielly (Sep 21, 2009)

Yup. just wikied and it is the Eastern Black Walnut. Stupid kids.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Around here they are called horse apples...They are dimpled and the size of a softball


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## riDINGti (Feb 28, 2006)

Dave Hickey said:


> Around here they are called horse apples...They are dimpled and the size of a softball



Also referred to as Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera)


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## frdfandc (Nov 27, 2007)

I've always called them Monkey Balls. Don't know why. But they go crunch under the tires of my truck.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

We call them Osage Oranges or more frequently, Monkey Balls. They're as hard as a rock. When cars run over them they still don't completely flatten. I've never been hit by one falling, but they're sometimes hard to dodge around. I avoid hitting one at all costs.


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## BikeLV702 (Apr 19, 2008)

I have to dodge the dried up fruit from sweet gum trees all the time here in sac. I call them balls of doom. I believe they are also known as monkey balls.


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## ncvwnut (Oct 15, 2008)

We have the osage orange and walnuts. It's that time of year here in Indiana.


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## jdille1984 (May 16, 2009)

Imagine one of these hitting you. The horse chestnut tree in my yard has nuts with spikes a 1/4 inch long

http://www.deepglamour.net/.a/6a00e553bc525688340105371bcd1e970b-popup


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## Slim Again Soon (Oct 25, 2005)

_"dimpled and the size of a softball"_

What are those things? What's inside?


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## Pscyclepath (May 22, 2008)

Dave Hickey said:


> Around here they are called horse apples...They are dimpled and the size of a softball


It's the fruit from the Osage Orange, locally known as bois d'arc, or "bodark". They're good for snake repellant, as well as a number of other backwoods varmints.


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## DaveG (Feb 4, 2004)

*Do we need a new Dendrology forum?*



frmrench said:


> They're deadly! Hit one with a glancing blow, and you're probably goin' down. And maybe it's my imagination, but I'd swear the trees sometimes lob them at me as I'm coming! Bigger hazards than cars, at least on the east coast this time of year. What the hell are they anyway??! And while I'm at it, those acorns are vicious bastids as well!


interesting thread. I did not realize before how many trees are out to get cyclists!


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

jdille1984 said:


> Imagine one of these hitting you. The horse chestnut tree in my yard has nuts with spikes a 1/4 inch long
> 
> http://www.deepglamour.net/.a/6a00e553bc525688340105371bcd1e970b-popup



Yep, Osage Oranges. That thing above we always called a Buckeye. Take the seed out of the husk and let it dry. It turns brown and resembes an eyeball.


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## russotto (Oct 3, 2005)

Lots of walnuts around here (Pennsylvania). We have horse apples too, but they're something different, definitely not a fruit.


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## boostmiser (Sep 10, 2008)

I rode a charity ride this weekend and heard a story from a rider who hit one. It blew the tube out. When they replaced the tube, they found the sidewall of the tire had a bid rip in it. Luckily they didn't go down.


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## MikeBiker (Mar 9, 2003)

Squirrels throw them at cyclists.


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## ZoSoSwiM (Mar 7, 2008)

Acorns! Those babies are demon nuts! 

They're the most dangerous tree droppings around here.. Minus a full limb coming at ya of course.


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## Mr. Bill (Oct 3, 2007)

What do cyclists do in places where they grow coconuts?


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## tetter (Jun 28, 2008)

Mr. Bill said:


> What do cyclists do in places where they grow coconuts?


it only takes once to learn your lesson there


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## MikeBiker (Mar 9, 2003)

Put the rum in the coconut and drink it all up.


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## mtor (Mar 1, 2007)

frmrench said:


> They're deadly! Hit one with a glancing blow, and you're probably goin' down. And maybe it's my imagination, but I'd swear the trees sometimes lob them at me as I'm coming! Bigger hazards than cars, at least on the east coast this time of year. What the hell are they anyway??! And while I'm at it, those acorns are vicious bastids as well!


god forbid there is a little wind outside.


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## FastZR1 (Jul 25, 2009)

I'm originally from Ohio and we called those things Monkey Balls too. No idea why though.


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## GirchyGirchy (Feb 12, 2004)

In KY we call 'em hedge apples. The trees were popular to plant along hedgerows to act as a fence since they grow dense and gnarly.

The wood is great for burning (hot and lasts a while) and makes purty furniture...it's light with dark brown/black knots and lines througout. Here's a little vase I have that's made from it.


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## bigrider (Jun 27, 2002)

GirchyGirchy said:


> In KY we call 'em hedge apples. The trees were popular to plant along hedgerows to act as a fence since they grow dense and gnarly.
> 
> The wood is great for burning (hot and lasts a while) and makes purty furniture...it's light with dark brown/black knots and lines througout. Here's a little vase I have that's made from it.



The wood is also prized to make recurves and longbows.


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## feh (Mar 8, 2007)

Mr. Bill said:


> What do cyclists do in places where they grow coconuts?


In all seriousness, you do need to be careful.

I spent some time on an air force base out in the middle of the Pacific ocean. Residents only rode bikes - no cars.

Coconut crabs crawl up into the trees and then cut the coconuts down. You don't want to be under the tree when that happens.


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## Mr. Bill (Oct 3, 2007)

feh said:


> In all seriousness, you do need to be careful.
> 
> I spent some time on an air force base out in the middle of the Pacific ocean. Residents only rode bikes - no cars.
> 
> Coconut crabs crawl up into the trees and then cut the coconuts down. You don't want to be under the tree when that happens.


On foot, a bike, motorcycle, or car, a coconut could surely kill a person. I'd spend a lot of time looking up.


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## Glynis27 (Oct 26, 2007)

I hit one of those black walnuts yesterday while MTBing. Was a tense moment, but didn't go down. Have always called them Monkey Balls as well. Is it an Ohio thing?


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## kreger (Mar 10, 2004)

MikeBiker said:


> Put the rum in the coconut and drink it all up.


i put the lime in the coconut


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## cdhbrad (Feb 18, 2003)

Don't have them in FL, we are dodging Avocados and Lychees now,.......mangoes earlier this summer.


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## Tommy919 (Sep 29, 2009)

seems like fruits are good for you until they fight back!!


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