Maclura pomifera Seeds | Osage Orange
LATIN NAME: Maclura pomifera
COMMON NAME: Osage Orange
Plant Profile
Osage orange is a deciduous tree of eight to fifteen metres with glossy ovate leaves, milky sap, stout thorns on the young shoots and a wrinkled, yellow-green fruit the size and shape of a brain. It is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate trees, and only the female carries fruit.
It is native to a small area of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas, in deep soils along rivers, and it was planted far beyond that range as a living fence before barbed wire existed. A hedge of osage orange, laid and cut, was said to be bull-proof, and miles of it were planted across the Midwest in the 1850s. The bark is deeply furrowed and orange-brown in the fissures, and the twigs carry a sharp spine at the base of each leaf.
Science & Biotechnology
The wood is the densest of any tree in North America, with a specific gravity near 0.85, and it sinks in water. That density is why it burns hotter than almost any other firewood and why it was the wood of choice for bows: the Osage made their bows from it, and the French name bois d’arc, bow wood, is still used in Louisiana.
The fruit is not eaten by most animals. The latex is sticky and bitter, the flesh is hard and fibrous, and the only regular takers are squirrels, which strip the fruit to reach the seed. The widespread claim that the fruit repels spiders and cockroaches has been tested and does not hold: a fruit in a corner does nothing.
Uses & Benefits
The wood is used for fence posts, for archery bows, for tool handles and for dye, since the heartwood gives a clear yellow-brown that was used for khaki uniforms in the First World War. Posts last fifty years in the ground without treatment.
The tree is still planted in shelterbelts and as a hedge in the southern plains, and it is used for windbreaks around orchards. The fruit is sometimes gathered for decoration and for the folklore about spiders, and the seed, which is edible once the pulp is removed, is eaten by wildlife but not by people. The wood also takes a fine polish and is used for small turned objects and for wooden mallets, where its weight is an advantage.
Growing from Seed
Sow seed in autumn or stratify for ninety days, and expect germination in spring. The seed is hard-coated, and a soak in water for a day before sowing improves the take. The tree transplants badly because of its deep taproot, so sow where it is to grow.
Plant in full sun in any soil that drains, and give it room, since the thorns make pruning unpleasant and the roots are wide. The tree tolerates drought, wind and poor ground, and it is hardy to minus thirty. Wear leather gloves when handling the shoots, since the thorns go through a canvas glove.
Our Take
A tough, thorny, extremely hard-wooded tree for a windbreak or a hedge, and one that will outlive the fence it replaces. Do not plant it near a path.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Osage Orange often pair it with these related subjects: