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Osage Orange (Bois d'arc)
Mulberry Family : Moraceae
Latin Name : Maclura pomifera
Longevity : Perennial
Season : Cool
Origin : Native
Value : Wildlife – good
Livestock -poor
Remarks :
Other common names, "Bois d'arc" and "Horse apple".
This is a medium-sized tree, the twigs and stems are equipped
with short, stout spines. Flowers April to June with the
fruit maturing September to October. This tree has been
widely planted in shelterbelts. The seeds inside the fruit,
which look like a big yellowish-green apple, is eaten by
squirrels. Turkeys have been known to pick and scratch
open the fruit for the seed as well. Deer browse the leaves
and twigs. Yellow dye was formed from the root bark and
the bark of the trunk was used for tanning leather. The
name, "Bois d'arc" was given by the French, meaning
"Bow-wood", with the reference to the fact that the Osage
Indians made bows from the wood.
Source: USDA-NRCS
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