Maclura pomifera

Description

Bow Wood, Hedgeapple, Orange, Osage

Hardy tree, growing to 20-40ft. The tree is deciduous and dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate trees. The round fruits can grow up to 4-6″, with bumpy skin and tough, inedible pulp that contains some latex. The fruits do have a pleasant aromatic smell of oranges. A single “fruit” is actually a collection of dozens of tiny fruits, a common trait to the mulberry family. One oddity is that the fruits don’t seem to have any natural dispersal agents as few animals show interest in eating them. This has led some to hypothesize the Osage Orange was once part of the diet of extinct Pleistocene mammals such as the giant ground sloth and mammoth. Perennial in USDA zones 4-9.

Sowing: Propagation: Seeds/Cuttings
Pre-Treatment: Soak ca. 24-48 h in lukewarm water
Stratification: 2-3 months in moist sowing mix at 2-5°C in the fridge
Sowing Time: all year round > fall/winter preferred
Sowing Deep: ca. 1 cm
Sowing Mix: Coir or sowing mix + sand or perlite
Alternative: in fall/winter direct sow outdoors with thick mulch, a cold frame, or unheated greenhouse
Germination Temperature: ca. 18-20°C