Osage orange

tree #112 Osage orange (Maclura pomifera)

The Memphis community of Orange Mound derived its name from Osage orange hedges that were planted around a plantation to keep cattle and pigs from straying. Osage oranges have large spines and form a dense impenetrable hedge when planted together. I had tried looking for these trees in Orange Mound, but they are dirty trees dropping grapefruit sized fruit (sometimes called horse apples). The need to clean up after these fruits has probably doomed the Osage orange from being a yard tree. 

In a lunchtime conversation with my friend Ken Nishimoto, avid fisherman, he mentioned Osage oranges were in Shelby Farms. I set out to find them with my son Adam. We took Missy his one year old black dog on a romp in the park mostly off leash. Missy ran and changed directions like a purple martin diving for mosquitoes. The shear joy of being able to run as fast as possible in an open grassy field is the signature of youth and life bubbling over. Fortunately for Adam she always returned and did not disappear over a hill. 

Adam with Missy as a pup, about 40 pounds now

We parked at a picnic area on the road going through the Starry Nights exhibit, a drive through lit up path with animated light displays with a Christmas theme. After finding a path in the woods we walked along looking for the elusive Osage orange. We met many others some with dogs and some with children who wanted to know if Missy was friendly. Some were curious what we were looking for since it appeared we were looking for something. We showed one couple a seed pod from a honey locust. This got their little girl interested and she went off to find more seed pods. To see the entry on black locust (tree #69) go here.

Honey locust seed pod (a legume tree)

 The forest was not a good place to look. After emerging near a playground we turned east, passed a zip line with about 20 people getting their harnesses off after skimming over a small lake and moved onto a trail next to a pond. A short way down this track we found a very spiky tree. Actually it was a dead branch from another tree that was stuck in a tree without spines. A little searching discovered the source. It is winter and there are no leaves or fruit, but we are guessing this is an Osage orange based on the spines. There were several of these trees close together and of different sizes. The spines could come right out from the trunk.

The right trunk has a cluster of large spines coming out from the trunk.

These pictures give the size of the spines. It would not be possible to pass through a fence of these shrubs. Some of the trees get quite large. These would no longer pose a barrier as the lower parts are open.

 

Adam looking for some leftover fruit Nov. 24, 2017 Shelby Farms

I will return to these trees next summer to capture the leaves and fruit and to show that we did find the real Osage orange trees in the winter at Shelby Farms.