Warning: 'Unusual Fruit' Found in Hudson Valley is 'Not Edible'

Officials are making sure Hudson Valley residents don't eat a very unusual orange.

While you shouldn't eat it, it can help around the house the annoying pests.

Osage Orange Found in the Hudson Valley

The Osage orange is found throughout the Hudson Valley, Scenic Hudson reports. However, it's not an orange and is not edible.

For all the news that the Hudson Valley is sharing, make sure to follow Hudson Valley Post on Facebook, and download the Hudson Valley Post Mobile App

"Now’s the time to spot one of the most unusual fruits found in the Hudson Valley: the Osage orange. FYI, it’s not edible and it’s not an orange. It’s actually a member of the mulberry family," Scenic Hudson states.

For all the news that the Hudson Valley is sharing make sure to follow Hudson Valley Post on Facebook, download the Hudson Valley Post Mobile App and sign up for the Hudson Valley Post Newsletter.

Comes From Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas

The Osage orange tree was originally native to Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. It was naturalized in the United States in the 19th century because the tree's thorny stems act like a barbed wire fence before barbed wire was invented.

The tree grows quickly and produces Osage oranges, which Scenic Hudson describes as " icky-green, softball-sized fruit covered with nodules."

Once ripe Osage oranges fall to the ground, which can cause injuries or property damage, according to the New York State Urban Forestry Council.

Repeals Insects

The Osage orange is also known for its ability to repel insects. Despite not liking the smell, Cockroaches are attracted to the smell, and the Osage orange can be used to kill cockroaches when the orange is crushed, mixed with water, and turned into a spray, Hunker reports.

LOOK: Stunning vintage photos capture the beauty of America's national parks

Today these parks are located throughout the country in 25 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The land encompassing them was either purchased or donated, though much of it had been inhabited by native people for thousands of years before the founding of the United States. These areas are protected and revered as educational resources about the natural world, and as spaces for exploration.

Keep scrolling for 50 vintage photos that show the beauty of America's national parks.

Gallery Credit: Alexander Raeburn

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF

Filed Under: New York News