Stumbled upon this weird, bumpy green ball under the trees. It looks like a brain and is sticky to touch. What is it?

Contrary to its name, the Osage orange is not related to the common orange. Instead, it belongs to the Moraceae family, making it a cousin of the mulberry and fig. The name ‘Osage’ derives from the Osage Nation, a Native American tribe indigenous to the region where the tree naturally grows. The fruit’s green hue and distinctive texture make it an unmistakable sight in the autumnal landscape.

Identifying an Osage orange is relatively straightforward once you know what to look for. The fruit is large, round, and covered with a network of ridges and grooves, giving it a brain-like appearance. Its color ranges from vivid green to a yellowish hue as it matures.

The tree itself can grow between 8 to 15 meters tall, with a dense, thorny thicket of branches. Its leaves are simple, ovate, and glossy, turning a bright yellow in the fall. The wood of the Osage orange tree is notably dense and strong, often used historically for tool making and other practical purposes.