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Osage-orange

Maclura pomifera

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in forests and woodlands; floodplain and bottomland forests; streams, rivers and their banks; roadsides, fields and disturbed ground; prairies and grasslands. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

37
Good

Native to Louisiana (estimated). How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
25–70 feet
Spread
20–60 feet
Light
Full sun
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to standing water

Space about 30 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
April to June
Fruiting season
August to October

Recorded in 37 Louisiana parishes.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 5

Forests and woodlands

Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.

Streams, rivers and their banks

Flowing water and its banks, bars and rocky shoals.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

Prairies and grasslands

Open, grass-dominated places kept open by fire, grazing or thin soil, from tallgrass prairie to Piedmont prairies.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Louisiana. Shared habitat, not food. 89 animals.

All wildlife of Louisiana

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

8CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including LA

Genus host records with ranges including LA · Maclura

  • Cenopis reticulatanaReticulated Fruitworm Moth
  • Ceratomia hageniHagen's Sphinx
  • Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Platynota idaeusalisTufted Apple-Bud Moth
  • Sericoplaga externalisFalcate Sericoplaga
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
0BeesSoutheastern regional records
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Moraceae
Hardiness
Zones 4a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
Yellow, green or inconspicuous
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Single stem
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
August
Fruit ends
October

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Bodock; Hedge Apple; Osage Orange

Conservation status

Louisiana rankSNR
Global rankG4G5
LA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources