Once planted in hedgerows, Maclura pomifera (Osage Orange) is a medium-sized, thorny, deciduous tree with a short trunk and a broad rounded crown of interlacing branches studded with stout thorns, 1 in. When mature, its spread can be up to 25 feet in diameter. Osage is the only member of the Maclura genus that still exists today. These people prized the wood from the osage-orange for its strength and elasticity. They grow in hardiness zones 4 – 9. Was told Osage fruit (ball) was good to keep spiders out of your house. Video of the Day Volume 0% 00:00 The OP was borderline Zone 4/5. A hardiness zone is a geographically defined area where a given plant is capable of growing. 21 September, 2017. Grows best in zones: 5-9 The heavy, close-grained yellow-orange wood is very dense and is prized for tool handles, treenails, fence posts, and other applications requiring a strong dimensionally stable wood that withstands rot. Osage orange grows in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 9 and can adapt to various soil conditions. It contains tetrahydroxystilbene, an anti-fungicide that may deter insects. Farmers planted the tough little trees in tight rows and pruned them well to keep them bushy. The wood was once used as fence posts throughout the Midwest. It is easy to collect the seeds from the … Hardiness zones are based largely on climate, particularly minimum temperatures. When these trees are planted close together, they grow a bit shorter. Scattered as native in moist soil, flood plain, and valley forests. Nowadays, people grow Osage orange trees to create natural borders. We found a study from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach where toxicologists extracted compounds from osage fruit balls. They used it primarily for making hunting bows and war clubs. Osage orange (Maclura pomifera), also known as Bois d’ arc, Hedge Apple or Horse Apple, is a member of the Moraceae family, to which figs, mulberries, breadfruit and jackfruit also belong, and is native to the south-central United States.. The Osage orange is an easy-to-grow tree. For many years, thousands of miles of these trees were planted in the East, Midwest, and South. Well-drained soil, adequate irrigation and a sunny location helps the tree grow rapidly and stay healthy. A small to medium-sized deciduous tree, the Osage orange tree reaches a mature height of 30 to 40 feet tall with a 40-foot broad, arching crown. The University of at Lincoln Cooperative Extension states it’s a myth they repel spiders. So, is the Osage orange edible? Prefers uniformly moist soils, but tolerates both dry and wet conditions. Because of the many uses of the Osage orange tree, it quickly became difficult to find and grow because people would cut down the trees to make all of these things. Though related to the mulberry, it is alone in its genus, and is native to the North American continent, where it thrives in zones 5-9—across the Great Plains and up to Ontario. These trees can become invasive and override existing vegetation if they aren’t managed. If Osage Orange trees are grown amongst other woodland competition, or coppiced with proper management, they can grow very tall and straight with the tallest recorded height being 54 feet with a span of 90 feet. Its odd shape and color have given it many nicknames, including green brains and hedge apple. These thorns help when you want to form a barrier that is difficult to penetrate. When you break the fruit of this tree open, it has a milky, bitter sap that comes out. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! The name “osage orange” is misleading because this unattractive fruit, often called “hedge apple” or “monkey brains,” is actually a member of the mulberry family. Trying to start a row of Osage orange or hedge trees. Because of this characteristic, this is a good tree to plant if you want something you can use to keep people or animals in an area or out of an area. Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera) Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Also tolerates poor soils, drought, heat, cold and wind. The average Osage Orange ‘Wichita’ or ‘White Shield’ is a large tree growing from 30 to 50 feet tall, and can spread from 25 to 40 feet wide, depending on conditions. It can absorb shocks without cracking and splitting, and it could hold up to both moisture and mud. Osage trees only need sunlight and water to start growing. For an incredibly tough, enduring windbreak that’s a major player in a local ecology, probably nothing surpasses Osage orange. Osage can generally grow … Over time, the trees had adapted well, and today, you can find the Osage orange tree from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico and from the Eastern Seaboard to the Great Plains. USDA hardiness is zone 4-10. Description Osage Orange is best known for the orange, ball-shaped fruit that the trees produces during the summer. Osage are tough native trees and are not picky about growing conditions. We are thinking of growing a woodlot for future use on a couple acres of old field (now mostly goldenrod and other weeds). These pests suck on the tree and eat the sap, killing off the branches. This makes the care of Osage orange trees easy. They derive their name from the Osage Indians. The leaves are 2 to 5 inches long, turning translucent yellow in the autumn. Growing an Osage orange tree is fast and easy. The wood of this tree is used in a variety of ways, including in fences and furniture. Caring for Osage Orange Trees. These pests also can kill off the tree, and they bore into the stems and trunks. We expect to get more seedlings in from this source. If you want to plant these seeds, you have to allow them to go through a brief chill so as to start the germination process. The Osage orange was a very handy tree for Native American Indians, who used it for centuries to make bows. The Osage orange tree is an unusual tree. Wild osage oranges line the roadways in parts of Oklahoma and Texas, but you can grow them in other parts of the country—they are known to exist as far away as Virginia. The Osage-orange, Maclura pomifera, is an ancient tree, a prehistoric survivor. These worms affect the branches of these trees. Osage orange … This makes the care of Osage orange trees easy. The Osage orange fruit is the size of a large orange or grapefruit, and it has a warty-looking surface. There are thorns on the twigs below the leaves. Is this true? See our, Peanut Plant Growing Guide for Home Gardeners, Privacy Policy, Disclosures and Affiliate Disclosure. If you mention it, expect questions like: “What is Osage orange?”. Osage Orange Hedges: Tips On Pruning Osage Orange Trees. We currently have some young Osage Orange trees growing in the nursery. Osage orange is cold hardy to United States Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone 4, where winter lows fall in the minus 20 to minus 30 degrees range. French settlers were exploring the area west of the Mississippi River, which is now modern-day Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas, when they came across the Osage people. The ratio is up to mother nature. Several … Many people have never heard of this tree. Usually, you should allow the seeds to sit at a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 days to let the seeds start germinating. People have planted osage-orange in every USA state (except Alaska and Hawaii). ... Ironwood (Ostrya virginiana) is a slow growing deciduous tree that is hardy to zone 4 and doesn’t demand much light. So, what is this hedge, and why would anyone want to plant it? Grapefruit Tree Info: Why Doesn't My Grapefruit Tree Bear Fruit, Coffee Pod Planters - Can You Grow Seeds In K Cups, Different Tree Parts And Functions: Parts Of A Tree Lesson For Kids, Best Balcony Plants - Growing Balcony Plants And Flowers, Cover Crops For Weed Control: When To Plant Cover Crops To Suppress Weeds, Fertilizer For Lawns – What Type Of Lawn Fertilizer To Use, Wildflower Meadow Maintenance: Learn About End Of Season Care For Meadows, Managing Climbing Roses: Learn About Training Climbing Rose Plants, Potted Plant Surprise – Container Grown Strawberry And Pussy Willow, My Tree Journey: Lessons from a Lemon Tree, Love For Dandelion “Weeds” – Dandelion Flowers Belong In The Garden. Hardiness Zones 5 to 9A. In the fall the fruit drop from the limbs and will litter the ground beneath the trees. They used the wood for everything from their covered wagons to wagon wheels, as it could bear a heavy load. Osage orange seeds are a favorite squirrel snack. It is easy to collect the seeds from the fruit, too, which drops from the trees each fall. The trunk grows to several feet in diameter. Maclura pomifera, commonly known as the Osage orange, horse apple, hedge, or hedge apple tree is a small deciduous tree or large shrub, typically growing to 8 to 15 metres (30–50 ft) tall.The distinctive fruit, a multiple fruit, is roughly spherical, bumpy, 8 to 15 centimetres (3–6 in) in diameter, and turns bright yellow-green in the fall.. If animals do eat the fruit, there have been cases of cows, for instance, choking on the fruit, as it is so hard and not too easy to chew. Higher numbers represent more temperate areas. Osage-orange is native to the southern United States. To control the spread, you should remove fallen fruit and cut back trees that are getting too large. Even today, many still use the wood of this tree to make archery bows. Another home security tree that has the added benefit of food are citrus trees. Widely planted for hedges, fences, … It is green in color, though, not yellow or orange, and the surface is covered with coarse hair. The sap eventually turns black, and some people have been known to develop a rash from it. They can keep livestock inside of a certain area or create beautiful borders. I am borderline 2/3, and I think it is worth trying here. Plant Osage orange tree saplings in areas that will receive full sun. SCIENTIFIC NAME: Maclura pomiferFAMILY: Moraceae. Straight-grained osage timber (most is knotty and twisted) makes very good bows. Osage orange seeds are a favorite squirrel snack. In general, the Osage orange tree is used for two main things: it’s wood and its ability to serve as a hedge or border. of sites. Osage-orange produces large fruit and tends to have an aggressive nature. Fall webworms are also common when you have Osage orange trees. Finally, you should watch out for spider mites. The Osage orange is an easy-to-grow tree. Move the pot near a window that gets plenty of direct sunlight and leave it there to get the seeds started. Commonly called Osage-orange or hedge apple, this medium-sized tree has a short trunk and rounded crown with large globular fruit produced by female trees. Osage-orange trees are native to an area centered on the Arkansas and Red River valleys in southern Oklahoma and northern Texas. It is easiest if you wait for fruit to fall to the ground and freeze in winter, since the cold temperatures facilitate seed-removal. They showed them how they used the wood of the tree to make their bows. Originally, this plant came from the southwestern United States, but was so widely planted throughout the Midwest as a hedgerow, that it is now considered to be "naturalized" throughout much of the eastern United States and beyond. A vigorous, fast-growing tree, Osage orange can even become invasive in ideal growing conditions. It is a moderately fast growing tree that has proven to be hardy and tolerant of drought and extended flooding. Though it generally grows upwards, the training can allow you to grow the branches in any number of ways. Many people hesitate to plant this in residential areas, as the fruit can be tiresome to clean up when they fall, and the thorns can make the trees difficult to cut and control. The tree also bears long, tough thorns, sharp as steel and can bust tires. Can withstand wetness, dryness, wind, and heat. When you look at the leaves, you will notice that they are long and shiny. This means that the trees often are not allowed to grow naturally and, instead, grow into what looks like one large row of hedges. USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F) USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F) USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F) USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F) USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F) Where to Grow: Grow outdoors year-round in hardiness zone. Mature Tree Size It is also remarkably free from insect pests and fungal diseases. Peanut Plant Growing Guide for Home Gardeners. If all this information about Osage orange trees makes you want to start growing one, the squirrels will thank you. Borers are also a consideration when you are trying to raise an Osage orange tree. The Osage orange can grow to heights of 30 to 50 feet with a spread of 20 to 40 feet. The closely planted trees and the thorny branches formed impenetrable hedgerows to fence in livestock. Here are a few of the most common ones: The biggest issue with pests when planting Osage orange trees are scales. Zone 0 covers the harshest areas in Canada for plant species. The tree is related to the fig and mulberry tree, as well as to a lot of semitropical and tropical trees. Average growing rate. You can plant it directly from the seed, and it would grow pretty quickly. Each fruit has a couple of hundred seeds. In concentrated amounts, the compounds repelled some insects such as mosquitoes and houseflies but not spiders. You can plant it directly from the seed, and it would grow pretty quickly. The tree flowers between May and July, producing flowers that, surprisingly, appear green in color. Other common names for this species include "bois d’arc" and hedge apple. However, if you plant in the spring, you don’t have to worry about mulch; the tree seedlings should be fine. So if you want to try it for insects, at the very least, slice them. I’ll have just over 1000′ feet to plant and almost 1400 seedlings to cover that length so knowing whether deer will go to town in advance to plan some protection would be handy. Osage are tough native trees and are not picky about growing conditions. Cover each seed with a quarter to a half-inch of soil. We participate in Affiliate programmes, some of the links mentioned above are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. Note they extracted the “juice” from the osage orange tree balls. Cold Stream Farm supplies Osage Orange trees which are grown as bare root seedlings and transplants and sold both wholesale and retail with no minimum order. USDA Hardiness Zone: 5-9. Also known as Hedge Apple. The growth rate is fast at 3 to 5 feet a year. The Osage orange tree (Maclura pomifera) is no kin to the citrus, but the fruit has a faint orangey fragrance strong enough to result in the common name. Danger: Parts of plant are poisonous if ingested. Hi all, Somewhat of a gardening question. A growing site with at least six hours of direct sun each day and moist soil is best, but these trees will tolerate hot, dry locations and wet locations with no trouble. Depending on where you're from, this tree has such names as hedge-apple, osage orange, bodark, bowwood and bois d'arc. We suppose you could eat it if you want, but it has a very bitter taste, and it is very difficult to chew. It wasn’t until explorers came out West that it was really discovered, though. Any spaces in the hedge will eventually be filled with the thorny branches of the trees. Most animals, except for squirrels, do not find the fruit of this tree to be palatable. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Don’t start them outside unless you know exactly where you want them to stand in the garden. Well-drained soil, adequate irrigation and a sunny location helps the tree grow rapidly and stay healthy. They grow in hardiness zones 4 – 9. Please plant enough to assure pollination. The wood is also flexible, which makes it perfect for bending to create wheels. All our osage orange are grown from seed, so we are unable to grade the plants by sex prior to shipment. Plant thornless male varieties if you do not want the fruit. These trees came from hedge balls picked from trees located along an old fence line separating two beef cattle pastures near Pleasantville, Iowa. Thorns On Citrus Trees: Why Does My Citrus Plant Have Thorns? Citrus Trees. When planting the seeds, you should put them approximately 12 inches apart. The wood is perfect for certain uses, such as for making archery bows, and it can even be processed to create a yellow-colored dye. Trying to start a row of Osage orange or hedge trees. That would be worth trying to help with other insect issues. The Osage orange tree is also known as a bodark, hedge apple, prairie hedge, yellow-wood, bow wood, naranjo chino, or horse apple. A medium-sized tree to 40 feet tall and a short trunk up to 3 feet in diameter, with many crooked, interweaving, thorny branches that form a dense, spreading crown. Sign up for our newsletter. It is a very tough tree and does well in adverse conditions. I’ve read and seen deer sometimes eat the fruit, but my goal is to plant seeds at 9″ spacing to weave the seedlings together into a hedge and my concern is whether deer will eat the seedlings. MATERIALS AND METHODS The test wood came from an osage-orange tree, with a diameter inside bark of 15 cm, collected at W. K. Kellogg Forest, Augusta, Michigan, in September 1974. For years, these trees were used for hedges throughout the eastern half of the nation. If you get caught with one of these thorns, you can bet that it is going to hurt! A tough, durable tree, does best in poor sites. The branches grow up into a round shape when left to their own devices, but many people train these hedges to form fences and barriers. These pioneers called the tree the bow dark, which was then became known as the bow wood. Identification Osage orange is a member of the The leaves have a shape that looks like an egg, and they have a point at one end. The bark of the tree is deeply furrowed, and it is dark orange in color. Osage Orange Tree Characteristics. In fact, professional archers tend to agree that the wood of this tree makes some of the best archery bows on the market. Morphology: This is a deciduous tree that grows to 40 in height and width. Also, when they sliced the balls, they deterred some insects. There are also a lot of thorns on this hedge, which are strong and sharp. With that said, what are they actually used for? In only a few years, it can form a nice-looking barrier. They can grow to as long as five inches in length, and they are dark green in color. It is an irregular rounded or upright tree. If you plan on planting this tree in your property, you should know of the pests and diseases that affect its growth. Average maintenance. If you plant the seeds in the fall, you should mulch them to protect them from the winter cold. They adapt well to most soil. The fruit of this tree is not poisonous, but you probably won’t want to eat it. Perhaps this chemical is what gives the dense wood its resistance to rot. This plant has some cultivated varieties. You can allow the fruit to naturally decay, and then extract the seed to plant. It has spread outside of its small native range because of its use as windbreaks and hedges. The ovate shiny dark green leaves turn brilliant yellow in fall. The invention of barbed wire put an end to living Osage hedges, but the wood continued being used for fence posts. Using the hedge apples whole (osage orange fruit balls) didn’t repel spiders or insects because there wasn’t enough scent to repel them. These may cause minor damage, but if you allow them to get out of control, they can cause the leaves to die and fall off prematurely. Drought tolerant. Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Osage orange often invades eroded or exposed areas, particularly those that have been overgrazed, as well as ditch banks, fencerows, ravines and abandoned homesteads. The Osage orange may be found in USDA Hardiness plant hardiness zones 5 through 9. Sadly, other plants in the family have become extinct, and we only know of them thanks to fossil evidence. Here are the interesting facts this tree is known for. Early settlers of the Great Plains used osage-orange for hedgerows. Start growing Osage orange trees by planting individual seeds in pots indoors. Rural Living Gardening | Hydroponics | Generators, Backyard Chickens | Barbecue Grills | Greenhouses | Prepping | Livestock. The Osage orange tree is an interesting plant that many people are not aware of even existing. These trees are not easy to transplant from one place to another outside. On the other hand, the trees’ yellow wood is strong and flexible, and so dense that it is immune to termites. Separating the seeds can be a challenge. These make it a top choice as a defensive hedge. People also started using the wood for railroad ties and fences. It wasn’t too long before they also began to realize that they could train the tree to grow in certain ways and to use the live tree as one would use a fence. Fruit can be a nuisance as well as thorns. When the Osage orange tree reaches its maturity, it can grow 35 – 50 feet tall, and the trunk can grow up to two feet in diameter. Eventually we would like to switch to burning wood from our current propane. Here is a view of one of the Osage orange trees, including its fruit, that have been growing in the churchyard at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Philadelphia for more than 200 years. It’s an excellent wood for fence posts and ship masts. Osage Orange is dioecious, with separate male and female trees. The tree is very easy to grow from a seed, and it is fast-growing, so you don’t need a lot of time to create what you want with them. The French settlers found the Osage orange to also be a valuable resource for wood, and they used it a lot because of its durability and strength. Ultimately, this tree became a very important part of life for many years. If all this information about Osage orange trees makes you want to start growing one, the squirrels will thank you. The Osage orange tree isn’t extremely well known, but it actually has a very historical meaning. Osage Orange trees are also called by their French name: bois d’arc or “wood of the bow.”. If not controlled, scales can kill off these trees. Read on for information about Osage orange trees. long (2.5 cm). The big problem for me, is Foehn winds in winter (local name is Chinook). If you have not heard of this tree before, you may be surprised when you see it, most especially the ugly fruit that it produces. Sun. They adapt well to most soil. Regarding if osage fruit balls repels spiders, the answer is no. the natural decay resistance of osage-orange and to obtain more information on the chemical properties of this wood. Growth habit A tree native to the northeastern United States is also known as Osage apple or Bois d’arc. Its fruit are wrinkled green balls the size of grapefruit. You also have to get through the hairs, thorns, and the warty skin, which simply doesn’t look very appetizing. If you are interested in growing an Osage orange tree in a hedge, it will likely stay under 20 feet (6 m.) tall, but in the wild, trees can grow much taller. You should also know that the Osage orange can be an invasive species if allowed to be. Growing an Osage orange trees is not difficult since the trees grow readily from both seeds and cuttings.
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