This deciduous hedge shrub grows to about 30 ft. tall and can be trained as an ornamental tree. It has thorny branches usually curving in arches outward from the main trunk with a thick growth of shiny green leaves. The female of the specie produces softball-sized greenish-yellow, inedible fruit. Specimens above were photographed at Joe Creason Park, opposite the Louisville Zoo, Louisville, Kentucky, October 1998.

This tree is native to the central United States. The Osage Indians preferred the arched wood from the branches for making bows. It has been used as a substitute for mulberry trees for the feeding of silkworms. Its wood is very durable for outdoor use such as railroad ties and fence posts. Osage Orange is adaptable to just about any kind of soil and can withstand droughts.

The fruit, when cut open, is a natural insect repellent and can rid an area of cock roaches and crickets.

Winter hardy in climate zones 5 - 9.

Plant seeds 1/4 inch deep in moist rich garden soil.

© 1998 Michael King