The Osage Tree Kitchen Utensils

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Maclura Pomifera (muh-KLOO-ruh poe-MIFF-er-uh )
Common name(s): Osage-Orange, Bois-D’Arc, Hedge
Family: Moraceae

Description:

Height: 30 to 40 feet
Spread: 20 to 40 feet
Crown uniformity: irregular outline or silhouette
Crown shape: round; spreading
Crown density: open
Growth rate: fast
Texture: coarse

Leaves:

Leaf arrangement: alternate
Leaf type: simple
Leaf margin: entire; sinuate; undulate
Leaf shape: lanceolate; oblong; ovate
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaf type and persistence: deciduous
Leaf blade length: 4 to 8 inches; 2 to 4 inches
Leaf color: green
Fall color: yellow
Fall characteristic: showy

 

Culture:

Light requirement: tree grows in full sun
Soil tolerances: clay; loam; sand; acidic; alkaline; extended flooding; well-drained
Drought tolerance: high
Aerosol salt tolerance: moderate



 

Trunk and Branches:

Trunk/bark/branches: droop as the tree grows, and will require pruning for vehicular or pedestrian clearance beneath the canopy; routinely grown with, or trainable to be grown with, multiple trunks; showy trunk; thorns are present on the trunk or branches. Pruning requirement: requires pruning to develop strong structure
Breakage: resistant


Use and Management:
It is reported that the Osage Indians made their hunting bows from this beautiful and hard wood. From April to June, Osage-Orange puts out its inconspicuous green flowers but these are followed by the very conspicuous fruits. The fruits are four to five-inch-diameter,  heavy green balls which ripen to yellowgreen and fall in October and November. These fruits are inedible, the juice acid and milky. Osage-Orange is thorny, just like true citrus trees, and forms thickets if left to grow on its own.  Osage-Orange should be grown in full sun on well-drained soil.