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Native Plant Society of Texas

Osage Orange

Maclura pomifera

Other common name(s):

Bois D’Arc, Bodark, Horse Apple, Hedge Apple, Bowwood, Yellowwood, Naranjo Chino, Monkey Brains

Family:

Moraceae (Mulberry Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Leaflet Tiles © Esri — Esri, DeLorme, NAVTEQ, TomTom, Intermap, iPC, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), and the GIS User Community
Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Southwestern Tablelands, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau
Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift
Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Mid-Coast Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Canadian/Cimarron Breaks
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Tree

Height

20
to
40
ft.

Spread

20
to
40
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Loam, Clay, Well Drained, Moist, Dry

Light Requirement

Sun

Water Requirement

Medium

Native Habitat

Grassland, Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Green

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Fruit, Fall Color

Wildlife Benefit

Birds, Small Mammals

Maintenance

Fast growth rate and very adaptable to a variety of growing conditions. Tolerant of harsh conditions such as drought, heat, cold. Needs a little extra water to get established. Avoid poorly drained soil. Prune once a year if straighter limbs are desired. Sprouts at the base of the tree may be removed. Wear gloves when pruning because young branches have sharp thorns. Acts as good hedge or screen. WARNING: fruit not edible by humans. Propagation: seed.

Comments

Blooms April-June. Medium-sized, thorny tree with short, often crooked trunk. Deeply furrowed orange-brown bark. Broad, rounded or irregular crown. Egg-shaped leaves narrowing at the tip, turn yellow in the fall. Thorns at the base of some leaves and milky sap. Inconspicuous yellow-green, male and female flowers on separate trees. Female flowers clustered in spherical heads that produce fruit. Fruit large, green, rough textured, resembling an orange or grapefruit, with milky sap, produced on female trees.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Toxylon pomiferum

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MAPO. 3) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Maclura+pomifera&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 4) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=15134&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 5) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=19102#null, 6) https://www.gardenia.net/plant/maclura-pomifera#:~:text=Grows%20up%20to%2030%2D60,My%20Collection, 7) https://www.treefolks.org/2018/08/01/augusts-tree-of-the-month-osage-orange-maclura-pomifera/#:~:text=Maclura%20pomifera%20is%20a%20deciduous%20tree%2C%20growing,the%20Red%20River%20Valley%20in%20northeast%20Texas.
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