Maclura pomifera

Osage Orange, Hedge Apple, Bois-d'arc

[not native to the Mid-Atlantic area]

[ click on any image below to see larger version ]

Family: Moraceae

Mid-Atlantic bloom time: April - May
Mid-Atlantic fruit ripe: October - November

Osage Orange was originally native only to southcentral North America (Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma), but has been widely planted and naturalized throughout much of the country. It has been used as tree hedgerows in the prairie states and as fence posts; its wood was traditionally used for tool handles and bows. Osage Orange's wood and roots are yellow-orange in color. Its distinctive large (5 - 15 cm diameter) yellowish-green fruits look like bumpy softballs.

12 January 2021 Algonkian Regional Park, Sterling, VA	12 January 2021 Algonkian Regional Park, Sterling, VA	5 May 2012 Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Glen Echo, MD	8 August 2014 Bull Run Mountains Natural Area Preserve, Landmark, VA
8 August 2014 Bull Run Mountains Natural Area Preserve, Landmark, VA	2 June 2018 Bull Run Mountains Natural Area Preserve, Landmark, VA	8 August 2014 Bull Run Mountains Natural Area Preserve, Landmark, VA (ripening fruit)	29 October 2016 Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA
12 January 2021 Algonkian Regional Park, Sterling, VA	12 January 2021 Algonkian Regional Park, Sterling, VA (opened fruit)	12 January 2021 Algonkian Regional Park, Sterling, VA	12 January 2021 Algonkian Regional Park, Sterling, VA

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