Maclura pomifera

The Maclura pomifera, also known as the Osage Orange, is a deciduous tree native to North America, related to the fig tree, once planted in the South of France for silk worm feeding. It is known for its hard wood and especially for its curious yellow-green fruits, the size of a grapefruit, pleasantly aromatic but not edible. They will only form on female trees, in the presence of a male tree. Its original wrinkled bark, its slightly irregular spreading habit, and its zigzag thorny branches are also appreciated, especially visible in winter. In summary, it is an original tree with a lot of character! It can be placed in isolation or even in a defensive hedge, either untrimmed or pruned, including in dry soil.

The Maclura pomifera belongs to the Moraceae family. It is native to Louisiana, specifically to a geographical area that once corresponded to the territory of the Osage Native American tribe. It is a tree that can reach about 12m (39ft) in height in our latitudes. Its crown shape is ample and rounded, slightly divergent, supported by somewhat twisted branches and twigs. The bark covering the trunk is fissured and twisted, with a gray-orange colour. The brown-orange twigs are equipped with short and scattered but quite large thorns, inserted in the axils of the leaves. The Osage Orange produces a visible latex as soon as a branch is broken. The Osages used this latex as a natural pigment in the past. The foliage, deciduous, falls in autumn. It consists of entire leaves, long-petioled, ovate in shape but pointed at the tip, measuring 7 to 12cm (3 to 5in) long. Dark green and glossy, they turn golden yellow in autumn before falling. Flowering occurs in June, on trees at least 10 years old. The female trees bear tiny flowers fused together in a dense, pompon-like inflorescence, pure yellow in colour. They closely resemble the flowers of the male trees, which are, on the other hand, clustered. Pollination is ensured by the wind. Then, globular false fruits form on the female plants, measuring up to 12cm (5in) in diameter, covered with a thick and lumpy skin that evokes the scent of lemon. These fruits, green in August, turn yellow and fall in November. They are not edible and are reputed to repel flies and cockroaches.

The juvenile Maclura pomifera is somewhat sensitive to winter harshness; it is perfectly adapted to our southern gardens, provided it has a slightly deep soil: its fruits need warmth to ripen. It is interesting as an alignment tree and also makes an interesting specimen in isolation. As it tolerates pruning well, the Osage Orange can be integrated into a defensive hedge, along with hawthorns, pyracantha, Poncirus trifoliata, and other false acacias.

The flexible and very hard wood branches of the Maclura pomifera were used by the Osages to make bows, which earned this tree its other name, "bow wood". It is an extremely resistant and rot-resistant wood that was once used for posts.