Maclura pomifera, Osage orange, to the early Western settlers, was the perfect fencing material. The wood was durable and exceptionally hard, and the branches were covered with strong axillary spines similar to barbed wire fencing.
They made an ideal natural fence when grown in rows, preferably in a zigzag fashion, and kept pruned.
Thomas Nuttall
Thomas Nuttall, an ornithologist, and botanist born in Yorkshire, England 1786, came to Philadelphia in 1809. He explored the Osage Indian territory in the West, and there came in contact with the tree.
Nuttall had a friend, much younger than himself, William Maclure, an eminent scientist, who came to the United States from Scotland to study geology.
It is said Maclure crossed and recrossed the Allegheny Mountains over 50 times. For this man, Thomas Nuttall gave the tree its name, Maclura pomifera.
Osage Orange Features
M. pomifera, or Osage orange, is a native of the Osage Indian territory, covering Arkansas, Texas, and a part of Mississippi. It has, however, been found as far Northeast as Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts.
The wood being very elastic, was valued highly by the Indians for bow wood, and it was said that the price of a bow was a horse and blanket.
Being durable when buried in the soil or subjected to moisture, it was widely used for fence posts, railroad ties, and wheel stock. Policemen’s billies and clubs were made from it.
Years ago, attempts were made to start a silk industry in this country. M. pomifera, a member of the mulberry family, was used as a substitute tree. The venture was never a success because the silk was too brittle.
For Ornamental Purposes
A fully grown Maclura tree is a beautiful sight and quite desirable for ornamental purposes. After reaching 50′ to 60′ feet, the trunk divides into several large curved branches, each sending out several more branches giving the tree a dome-shaped top. Often the branches droop to the ground.
The bark is orange-brown and deeply furrowed and is often used for tanning leather. A yellow dye was made from the roots in earlier days. Leaves are alternate and simple, varying from dark to pale green and running 3″ to 5″ inches long by 2″ to 3″ inches wide.
The midrib is prominently separating the leaf into feathery veins. In autumn, the leaves turn a clear bright yellow.
Maclura blossoms in June, and although not conspicuous in themselves, they develop into a most interesting fruit.
The flowers are dioecious; the male flowers are small, greenish, and appear in hanging clusters, while the female flowers, also greenish, arc borne in dense heads.
Fruit develops in early summer and ripens just before frost. Its size and general appearance resemble a large orange, yellow-green with a rough tuberculated surface. I have collected specimens that measured 14″ inches in circumference.
Botanists call a compound fruit like M. pomifera a syncarp, meaning it is produced from the ovaries of several flowers.
Close examination reveals the fruit contains several small grapefruit-like seeds embedded in a pulp containing a sticky, milky sap that oozes out of the fruit if bruised.
The fruit is not edible, and wildlife generally shuns it. Maclura is a strong grower which is free from insects and fungus diseases.
Grows From Seed
Maclura grows readily from seeds that may be procured from a reputable seedsman.
It is much stronger than our common hedges but must be sheared frequently each year to produce the proper shape. A conically formed hedge is more desirable than the flat-sided type.
If you have a situation where a formidable living fence is needed—consider the Osage orange.
44659 by Gladys Reed Robinson