Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations extremely old tree

Another vote for Osage Orange, here in Ohio better known as Hedgeapple.

We have a third of a mile of Osage fence rows. The last time they were cut for fence posts before we bought the farm (no pun intended) was about 105 years ago (and old Warner Smith, who owned the property then, used an axe. Must have been one tough guy to cut this unbelieveably hard wood by hand). It doesn't matter where these posts have been - laying on the ground, above ground, under ground in soil that's wet 9 months a year - those old posts are still harder than hell and make good firewood. (I have reused a few as fence posts, but hundred year old Hedge is even harder to nail into than new Hedge.)

Osage Orange is very dense (the heartwood sinks in water); I feel that's the secret to why it lasts so long and, as firewood, burns so hot. The only downside is the incredible number of thorns (which only seem to grow below the browse level established by cattle/deer). It would by my choice for long lasting wooden structure in a pond - it's what I used for the posts under my dock.