Family: Moraceae
Origin, Description & Uses
Maclura pomifera (osage-orange, hedge-apple) is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree native to the south-central United States, including parts of Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas. It is known for its dense branching, thorny stems, bright green leaves, and large, round, wrinkled fruits often called “hedge apples.” Historically, the tree was widely planted as a living fence before the invention of barbed wire because its thorny growth formed dense, livestock-proof hedges. The exceptionally hard, durable wood has also been valued for fence posts, tool handles, archery bows, and specialty woodworking. Today, osage-orange is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental or barrier plant and for wildlife habitat.
Risks & Threats
Although Maclura pomifera is not currently known to be naturalized in Hawaii, it does possess traits that are cause for concern. The species is hardy, tolerant of drought and poor soils, long-lived, and capable of forming dense thickets through seedlings and vegetative growth. Its thorny branches can restrict access and displace other vegetation in disturbed areas. The fruit may also be spread by animals or human activity, increasing the possibility of establishment outside cultivation. Ongoing evaluation is needed to determine whether this species could negatively impact Hawaii’s ecosystems, and caution is recommended when considering it for planting.
High Risk Traits:
- Produces spines/thorns
- Naturalized beyond native range
- Invades disturbed habitats (e.g., overgrazed pastures, fence rows)
- Unpalatable to grazing animals
- Forms dense thickets
- Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions (including alkaline soils)
- Reproduces by vegetative fragmentation
- Seeds dispersed by birds, water, and animals (gut passage)
- Widely planted intentionally by people
- Tolerates mutilation (sprouts vigorously after cutting)
- Low climate versatility (USDA zones 4a-9b)
Low Risk Traits:
- Not toxic to animals
- Dioecious (requires male and female plants)
- Requires ≥10 years to begin seed production
- Not adapted for wind dispersal
- Well-controlled by herbicides (e.g., triclopyr, picloram)
