Maclura pomifera
Osage orange is a unique species. While technically native to the U.S., its original range was largely confined to Texas and parts of Oklahoma and Arkansas. This tree’s name is allegedly from the Osage nation, while “orange” describes its large, though inedible, fruit. The tree has many nicknames, such as hedgeapple or bow-wood, but in Pennsylvania, it is sometimes referred to as “monkey balls.” The tree is small to medium-sized and can be grown as a shrub or tree.
Osage orange has significant value as a timber product, especially because of its decay-resistant property. In the days of westward colonization, its wood was used for wagon wheels. The wood was also used to make posts and poles. The wood was an important element in bow-making for the Osage Nation. The Osage orange may also have chemical properties useful for biofuels, pesticides, food preservation, and more.
When it was discovered that this thorny tree/ shrub could be grown as a live fence to contain free-ranging animals, it was planted all over the U.S. This discovery enhanced the westward expansion in the 1800s as early settlers could now use dense thickets of Osage orange hedge to contain their cattle and turn prairie into pasture. Osage orange was the antecedent to barbed wire, and when barbed wire was invented, westward expansion amplified. It was also planted as a windbreak and to stabilize soils for erosion prevention.
As this species was so widely planted, it has naturalized in most states and parts of Canada. Osage orange can be weedy, even invasive, in some areas, however. The tree can take over in neglected agricultural fields, abandoned lots, or over-grazed lands. Because of its ability to thrive in disturbed places and conditions (alkaline soils), it has been used for strip mine reclamation.
Osage orange is surprisingly versatile. While it has many uses, it is also a useful tree within the climate-resilient canopy. The species can tolerate drought and resist disturbances like pollution, ice, wind, disease, and pests. It lives long and grows rapidly, so it may be useful for filling gaps where other species or individual trees fail to resist the effects of climate change. Under both extreme and moderate climate change pathways, suitable habitat for Osage orange is expected to increase, especially in the northward direction.
As we look to the future of our forests, we must reconcile that some endemic species may not survive in a warmer climate. Therefore, we must consider growing and planting unconventional species to fill ecological and cultural niches left empty by species that may die out.
This infographic series was inspired in part by a presentation given by Jehane Samaha at the 2024 Canopy Conference at Haverford College, where she explored tree species that we may see more of in Pennsylvania as the climate warms. Osage orange is just one example. For the two range maps, we utilized data from the Community Climate System Model, version 4.0 offered through the USDA Forest Service.
Resources:
J. D. Burton. Osage-Orange. Silvics of North America. https://research.fs.usda.gov/silvics/osage-orange.
Osage-orange (Maclura pomifera). Climate Change Atlas Version 4 - Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service. https://www.fs.usda.gov/nrs/atlas/tree/641
Schneider, C. K. (2011). Plant Fact Sheet: Osage Orange. Manhattan; USDA NCRS. https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/factsheet/pdf/fs_mapo.pdf
The osage orange: Useless or useful? Penn State Extension. https://extension.psu.edu/the-osage-orange-useless-or-useful
Comments