Osage-orange is a deciduous tree in the Moraceae (mulberry family) native to the central southern U.S.A. It has naturalized in many areas of the eastern United States. The genus name Maclura comes from American geologist William Maclura (1763-1840) and the species name pomiferaI means apple-bearing referring to the large, inedible, round fruits. The bark is somewhat orange in color and the fruits resemble oranges hence the common name. Plant in areas in full sun with cool temperatures and ideally 40 to 45 inches of rain each year or supplemental irrigation. When located on an ideal site Osage-orange can reach heights of 70 feet but is more typically 25 to 60 feet tall. It tolerates a wide range of soil types including poor, wet, or dry, and a range of pH conditions except highly acidic. Tolerant to wind and heat. In shade, its appearance will suffer. The tree has a short trunk with a low, rounded, irregular crown, and stiff, spines that emerge from leaf axils. Commonly known for its large green fruits that are roughly the size of a baseball, they ripen in September through October. The fruits are enjoyed by squirrels and other small mammals that tear them apart searching for the seeds buried deep inside. The latex sap found inside this plant keeps most herbivores like deer and rabbits away. Because of its nasty spines and dense growth habit, it makes an impressive security plant and was once used extensively as a hedgerow or living fence to define property lines until the introduction of barbed wire. It was also planted extensively in the 1930's in an effort to prevent soil erosion by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). It is not recommended except as a novelty, and in poor, infertile sites. There are some cultivars that are male and thornless. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems. Flowers and fruits of female plants can be messy and have unpleasant odors if not cleaned up immediately.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Frequent Standing Water | Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry | Occasionally Wet
Available space
24-60 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 25 ft. 0 in. - 70 ft. 0 in. | Width: 20 ft. 0 in. - 60 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High; Medium
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Rounded
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire; Undulate
Leaf feel
Glossy; Smooth
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Shiny simple dark green on top light green and slightly pubescent below lanceolate to ovate leaves 2 1/2 to 5" long and 1 1/2-2 1/2" wide. Margins are smooth to slightly wavy. Petioles are thin 1" to 2" long may have some hairs and do have a mikly sap when broken.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Insignificant
Flower form
Head; Insignificant; Raceme
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Dioecious plant, the flowers appear after leaves. Male flowers in 1"-2" racemes dangling from leaf axils individual flowers are quite tiny at 1/8". Female flowers are green globloaid heads 3/4"-1" wide, found singularly or in clusters of 2 or 3 arising from leaf axils. Each head contains up to 200 tiny flowers giving it an almost hair-like appearance. Flowers are pollinated by the wind in late spring to early summer.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
> 3 inches long, > 3 inches wide
Fruit detail
4-6 inch inedible wrinkled fruit resembles a large, yellow-green orange or grapefruit. It is a syncarp of drupes covered with a rind and when opened oozes a latex sap.
Bark color
Light Brown; Orange
Bark detail
Orange-brown bark deeply furrowed with straight, curved or forked ridges
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver; Green; Orange
Stem detail
Stems have orange brown to gray brown smooth bark that zig zags somewhat. 1/4" -1" long stout spines and ooze latex sap when cut. New stems are green.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
South East Oklahoma to Texas and Arkansas
Distribution
Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma. More common in western areas such as Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas
Wildlife value
The larva of two moths Ceratomia hagenii (Osage Orange Sphinx Moth) and Archips argyrospilus (Fruit-Tree Leafroller), feed on the leaves and flower buds. Fruits are enjoyed by small mammals.
Attracts
Moths; Small Mammals
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Drupe
Uses (ethnobotany)
Native Americans used the flexible but strong branches to make bows. It was also used for fence posts, tool handles, and police billy clubs.