Species PlantsOsage Orange

Osage Orange

Maclura pomifera

CommonPlant
Illustration of Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera)

Osage Orange produces the largest fruit of any tree native to the continental United States—a bumpy, brain-shaped green ball up to 5 inches across that contains a milky latex. Like honey locust, its fruits were adapted for dispersal by Pleistocene megafauna, and today only horses and squirrels extract the seeds. The extremely hard, rot-resistant wood was prized for bows.

Habitat
Bottomlands and moist slopes of the south-central United States
Diet
Fruits eaten by squirrels and horses extracting the seeds; minimal modern dispersers
How common
Common

Best time to see a Osage Orange

The best time to see a Osage Orange is July–November, when about 65% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 27,383 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Not certain it is a Osage Orange? What plant is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.

Recent Osage Orange sightings near you

Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.

Spot a Osage Orange? Identify it instantly.

Point Huck at any plant, bird, or animal for an instant ID, its rarity, and a live map of where it is being seen near you.

Get Huck

Get an alert when a Osage Orange is spotted

Pick a park, state, or city and we’ll email you when one turns up there. One check a day, only when there’s something new.

Free. Unsubscribe from any email. See our Privacy Policy.

Love plants? Get Huck field notes

Spotting tips, new species, and the best of what people are finding in the wild - straight to your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to receive Huck emails. No spam, unsubscribe anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

More plants

Ostrich Fern
Ostrich Fern
Matteuccia struthiopteris
Oval-leaved Blueberry
Oval-leaved Blueberry
Vaccinium ovalifolium
Overcup Oak
Overcup Oak
Quercus lyrata
Oxeye Daisy
Oxeye Daisy
Leucanthemum vulgare
Pacific Blackberry
Pacific Blackberry
Rubus ursinus
Pacific Bleeding Heart
Pacific Bleeding Heart
Dicentra formosa
Pacific Crabapple
Pacific Crabapple
Malus fusca
Pacific Dogwood
Pacific Dogwood
Cornus nuttallii