We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Conservation

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is an Osage Orange?

Mary McMahon
By
Updated: Jun 04, 2024
Views: 18,057
Share

Osage oranges are members of the mulberry family, meaning that they are not true oranges. The fruit produced by these trees does look like an orange, especially at a distance, but it is inedible. Although their fruit cannot be eaten, Osage orange trees have a number of uses, and they can be found throughout the American South and Midwest. Some garden supply stores sell Osage seedlings, for people who wish to plant these distinctive ornamental trees.

The Osage orange is apparently native to Texas and Arkansas, where the trees have been harvested for their useful timber by native Americans for centuries. The wood of this tree is extremely close-grained and yellowish to orange in color. The close grain and straight growth habit makes the timber very useful for things like bows, fenceposts, and musical instruments, among other applications. In fact, the French referred to the Osage orange as bois d'arc in a reference to the historical use as bow wood, and you sometimes hear Osages called “bodarcs” in a corruption of the original French.

These trees are thorny and deciduous, meaning that they lose their leaves in the cooler winter months. The fruits which they produce are large and heavily wrinkled, reminding some people of the brain. Because the fruits endure after the leaves fall off, you can spot an Osage orange in the fall from quite a distance, thanks to the large, brightly colored fruit. When cut open, the fruit proves to be pulpy, pithy, and slimy, making it totally unappetizing to all but the most desperate squirrels. The odd appearance of the fruit has inspired nicknames such as brainfruit, monkey ball, and monkey brain.

One of the primary historical uses of the Osage orange has been in fencing and livestock control. If a row of the trees is planted close together and kept well-pruned, they will form an impenetrable hedge which acts as a very effective fence. This usage has given the tree alternate names like “hedge apple” and “hedge ball.” The Maclura pomifera, as it is formally known, is still used this way, and it makes a very effective privacy fence as well, as you might imagine.

Some people believe that the fruits of the Osage orange are capable of repelling insects. Studies on the fruit have not born this out, although some aromatic compounds in the fruit may be effective at repelling cockroaches. Despite the fact that the fruits are not effective insect repellents, some people use them in their interior decoration anyway, because the fruits look so weird and interesting.

Share
All Things Nature is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Mary McMahon
By Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a All Things Nature researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Discussion Comments
By anon109046 — On Sep 05, 2010

At an RV campground, along the Colorado River near Colombus TX, a deer was seen nibbling on an Osage orange.

By king12 — On Mar 05, 2009

how do you plant the osage orange seed?

By deldelong — On Sep 07, 2008

How can and osage orange apple be preserved? Can they be kept all year after they are picked?

By milagros — On Aug 31, 2008

Osage Orange is excellent as a hedge plant. It grows well in poor soil. Before some other fencing materials came into use, Osage Orange was used as a fence around homes.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a...

Learn more
Share
https://www.allthingsnature.org/what-is-an-osage-orange.htm
Copy this link
All Things Nature, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

All Things Nature, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.