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Hedge-apple
The Maclura Pomifera is commonly known as Bois D'arc, Hedge-apple, as well as Osage-orange< Go BackGrowing Regions
Osage-orange is native to a narrow belt in eastern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma, southwestern Arkansas, and the extreme northwest corner of Louisiana. This belt includes portions of the Blackland Prairies, Chiso Mountains, and the Red River drainage [4]. Osage-orange has been introduced into most of the conterminous United States and has become naturalized throughout much of the eastern United States and the central Great Plains [4,8,13,28,33,35].
General Information
The currently accepted scientific name for osage-orange is Maclura pomifera (Raf.) Schneid. (Moraceae) [8,13,28]. There are no currently accepted infrataxa.Native and naturalized populations of osage-orange occur in rich bottomland forests and on sandy terraces. On the Trinity River floodplain in Texas, mostly small (less than 8-inch [20 cm] diameter) osage-orange occurs in bottomland forests dominated by cedar elm (Ulmus crassifolia), sugarberry (Celtis laevigata), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), and western soapberry (Sapindus soponaria var. drummondii) [18]. In Iowa, osage-orange occurs in a honey-locust (Gleditsia triacanthos)-black locust (Robinia psuedoacacia)-boxelder (Acer negundo)-elm (Ulmus spp.) forest [15]. On lower terraces of Salt Creek in Illinois, osage-orange occurs in a bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa)-hackberrry (Celtis occidentalis) forest [16]. Osage-orange is also associated with white oak (Quercus alba), white ash (Fraxinus americana), and red mulberry (Morus rubra) [4]. In Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama, osage-orange occurs with eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana), black walnut (Juglans nigra), hickory (Carya spp.), and elm [4]. Osage-orange that has escaped cultivation often occurs as thickets along fencerows and ditches, in ravines, and in overgrazed pastures. It commonly occurs with honey-locust in disturbed areas [4].
Much of the information presented here is attributed to:
< Go BackCarey, Jennifer H. 1994. Maclura pomifera. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available at USDA Forest Service.