Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera) Tree, Organic

Family: Mulberry (Moraceae)

Hardy to Zones 4 to 10

(Bow Wood, Hedgeapple, Orange, Osage)  Deciduous, dioecious tree to 60 feet. Perfectly cold hardy. Native to south-central North America, now widely spread, although most trees in the western United States are very old.  Tree is not self-fertile, it is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant). Both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.  We cannot sex our seedlings until they become adults, which may take years, so its pot luck as far as sexual identity is concerned.  We normally plant things of this nature in 3s.  The brainlike, bright green fruit of this dense and thorny tree has a long-lived reputation of repelling spiders and other insects. Avoid getting white sap in eyes. Wood extremely flexible and durable for bow-making and fenceposts. Major hedgerow component, wildlife shelter–strange and oddly beautiful. Personal favorite. Tree withstands wide range of soil types and rainfall.

Potted tree, Certified Organically Grown