DAVIDSON TREASURE TREES
#030 Osage Orange
(Maclura pomifera)
This is the largest Osage Orange in the Davidson Street Tree Inventory, #18
Statistics (2022)
- Circumference (In.): 112″
- Height (Ft.): 140′
- Avg. Crown Spread (Ft.): 60′
- Diameter Breast Height (In.): 36″
- Total Points: 267
More Information
- Year Recognized: 2021
- Current condition: Good
- Property Type: Private
- Ecological Value: Commonly known for its large green fruits that are roughly the size of a baseball, they ripen in September through October. When found on good sites Osage orange can reach heights of 70 ft., prefers areas in full sun with cool temperatures and 40 to 45 inches of rain, and can tolerate a wide range of soil types: poor, wet, or dry. Wind and heat tolerant. The tree has a short trunk with a low, rounded, irregular crown, and stiff, spiny branches. The bark is somewhat orange in color and the fruits resemble oranges hence the common name. It has naturalized in many areas of the eastern United States. Because of its nasty spines, it makes an impressive security plant and was once used extensively as a hedgerow plant to define property lines until the introduction of barbed wire. Also, the plant produces large stout thorns that can be located on the stems/branches.
