Melinda Myers

Osage Orange

Botanical Name

Maclura pomifera

Min Zone

4

Max Zone

9

Height

20 to 40 feet

Width

20 to 40 feet

Flowers

Dioecious, June, inconspicuous

Fruit

Large, 4 to 6 inch diameter, ball-like structure, yellow-green to yellow, resembling an orange

Fall Color

Yellow-green to gold

Light

Full sun

Soil

Adaptable to most soil conditions

Planting & Care

• Transplants easily
• Tough tree that tolerates poor, wet, high pH, acidic and dry soils
• Tolerates wind and heat

Problems

Fruit litter, spines on stems

Varieties

• Double O - male form with no fruit, thorns only on young stems
• White Shield - fruitless with few or no thorns, 35 feet tall and wide, fast growing, good fall color
• Wichita - upright, spreading with a dense canopy, one of the most thornless varieties available