Are hedge apples and horse apples the same thing?
Accordingly, are hedge apples poisonous to horses?
Hedge Apples and Horses. Studies have shown that hedge apples are innocuous to horses when ingested. Horses generally bypass the fruit when browsing because of its extremely hard texture and unpalatability, especially when there is other forage to satiate hunger.
In this way, are hedge apples good for anything?
The use of the hedge apples for insect control is one of the most enduring pest management home remedies. Placement of hedge apples around the foundation or inside the basement is claimed to provide relief from cockroaches, spiders, boxelder bugs, crickets and other pests.
INSIGHT: The Native American Osage Indians used bois d' arc to make bows hence the name, and also war clubs. The invention of barbed wire reportedly came from someone seeing the thorns on the bois d' arc fencerows. The fruit or horse apples have been historically used to repel cockroaches and fleas.