WE’RE CALLING ASK KELLY AND TODAY’S QUESTION IS ABOUT SOMETHGIN THAT YOU’RE PROBABLY SEEING A LOT OF THIS TIME OF YEAR. HI, I’M DAWN FROM APOLLO AND MY ASK KLYEL QUESTION IS MONKEY BALLS. WHAT’S THEIR DEAL? WHAT A TELIMY AND SUCCINCT QUESTION THEY’RE DONE BECAUSE THEYRE A EVERYWHERE THIS TIME OF YEAR. DEFINITELY NOT ANYTHING NEW TO OUR REGION. YOU PROBABLY GREW UP PLAYING WITH THEM, BUT WHEN THE EXPERTS EXPLAINED WHAT THEY’RE DEAL IS, IT WAS ACTUALLY A LOT MORE INTERESTING THAN I THOUGHT. SO THE'R’S A LOT OF DIFFERENT COMMON NAMES FOR THIS TREE. SOME PEOE CPLALL IT MONKEY BALLS LIKE IN YOUR QUESTION. SOME PEOPLE KNOW IT ASHE T OSAGE ORANGE OR THE HEDGE APPLEHE T SCIENTIFIC NAME FOR IT IS MCCLURE UPON AFFERA. WOW. OK,AY I’LL TAKE MONKEY BALLS. DESPITE THE FACT WE SEE THE MCCLURE PALMYPHERA ALL OVER OUR AREA. IT’S NOT ACTUALLY NATIVE TO OUR REGION STEVEN BUCKLIN A NATURALIST EDUCATOR AT THE FRICK ENVIROENNMTAL CENTER. EXPLAIN TO US. IT’S NATIVE TO PARTSF O THE MIDWEST, TEXAS, ARKANSAS AND OKLAHOMA, BUT PEOPLE HAVE PPLANTED THEM HERE BECAUSE OF SOME OF THEIR FEATURES THAT MAKE THEM REALLY GOOD NATURAL FENCES. I DON’T KNOW IF YOU CAN ZOOM. ON A BNCRAH REHE BUT IT’S PRETTY SPIKY. ANDO S IT’LL JUST BE LIKE TONS AND TONS OF WIRY BRAHENCS THAT YOU CAN EASILY KIND OF WEAVE TOGETHER TO MEAK A FENCE THAT HAS HE’S LIKE NATURAL THORNS IN IT. BUCKLAND SAYS THEY ARE NOT INVASIVE AND THEY HAVE BECEOM NATURALIZED HERE IN OUR REGION SO-CALLED MONKEY BALLS THAT FALL FROM THESE TREES WHILE THEY MAY LOOK LIKE ONE GIANT SEED ARE ACTUAL DLYOZENS IF NOT HUNDREDS OF LITTLE SDSEE EACH ONE OF THOSE LITTLE SEGMENTS. IS A LITTLE DROOP AND EACH SEGMENT WLIL HAVE A SEED THESE DAYS. THE TREES ARE SPREAD MAINLY BY PEOPLE INTENTIONALLY PLANTING THEM BUT THE HISTORY OF HOW THEY USED TO SPREAD AROUND IS FASCINATING BACK BEFORE THE ICE AGE WHEN MEGAFAUNA STILL EXISTED IN NORTH AMERICA A LOT OF THESE LAERG ANIMALS, LIKE WOOLLY MAMMOTHS WOULD EAT THESE FRUITS WHOLE AND THEY WOULD PSAS THROUGH THEIR DIGESTIVE TRACT AND COMEUT O THE OTHER END AND ENTH THE SEEDS WOULD GERMITENA AND BE NICE AND FERTILIZED IN ETH SENSE OF WOOLLY MAMMOTHS PEOPLE HAVE N COWOME UP WITH SOME REALLY INTERESNGTI USES FOR MONKEY BALLS A CHEMILCA INSIDE HAS BEEN SHOWN WHEN ISOLATED TO REPEL COCKROACHES,UT B AS FAR AS THE RUMOR THAT THEY DETER SPIDERS. YEAH. I’VE HEARDHAT T A LOTOO T AND THERE’S LIMITED SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THAT CLAIM UNFORTUNATELY. SO ANOTHER USE PEOPLE HAVE FOUND FOR THE TREE OVER THE YEARS IS ACTUALLYTS I WOODS. SO YOU HEARD STEPHEN THERE SAY ONE OF THE NAMES FOR THE TREES OSAGE ORANGE. HE SAYS THAT’S BECAUSE THE OSAGE NATION WLDOU ACTUALLY USE THEM TO CONSTRUCT BOWS. THEY SAY THE WOOD W EASXACTLY PERFECTLY HAD THE RIGHT STREN. FLEXIBILITY FOR THAT USE SO THAT IS THEIR DEAL THAT’S THEIR DEAL, BUT THEY USED TO BE SPREAD BY WOOLLY MAMMOTH POOP. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT AND I HAVE TO SAY YOU SHOWED ME ACTUALLY SMELLS REALLY NICE. IT SMELLS. I KNOW I’VE HAD THIS ON MY DESK ALL WEEK. IT ACTUALLY SMELLS REALLY GOOD AFRTE A WHILE. I THINK THEY START TO DECAY SO I’M GONNA PROBABLY TAKE IT OUTSIDE AFTERNOON TODAY TO GET IT OUT OF THE NEWSROOM. SO IT’S NOT AN AIR FRESHENER NOT AN AIR FRESHENER NOT IN THE LONG-TERM AT LEAST BUT SOMEUN F FACTS FOR YOU, HOPEFULLY AND THERE’S A QUESTIO IN CAN NOW GET ANSWERED FOR YOU. JUST LET ME KNOW YOU CAN LEAVE ME. THIS MESSAGE WITH THE NUMBER YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN FOUR ONE TWO, TWO FOUR FOUR SIX ONE ZERO OR YOU CAN JUST JUMP STRAIGHT IN SEND ME A VIDEO MESSAGE. YOU CAN SHARE THAT WITH ME THROUGH FACEBOOK. THAT’S THE EASIEST WAY OR YOU CAN EILMA ASK KELLY AT HERS.COM AND STAY WITH US. WE’RE GONNA HAVE A LOOK AT Y