Osage Orange

Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera) Osage orange is an interesting tree native to the south central United States. There are several attributes of this tree that may be of interest to you. The wood of Osage Orange is highly valued for its color, grain, and resistance to rot. This makes the wood useful for tool handles, fence posts, and decorative work. Osage orange has large thorns especially on the younger trees. These thorns make the tree a potential candidate for use in living fences (a thick thorny hedge used to deter animals from passing). Before the widespread use of barbed wire Osage Orange was commonly planted in hedges for this reason. Their thorns also help deter deer. The trees develop softball sized yellow/green fruits in the fall. The fruits are full of a very sticky substance and many small seeds. On the east coast it seems that the fruits largely go unnoticed by wildlife with the exception of squirrels who will occasionally get at the seeds. Other animals may eat the fruits