Maclura pomifera
Other common names
Hedge-apple, horse-apple; French: Bois D'Arc.
Origin of the species name
Maclura is named after William MacClure, American geologist, 1763-1840; pomifera is Latin for fruit-bearing.
Family
Moraceae
Date planted
November 2011
Lifespan
Trees of this species live about 75 years.
General description
This is a small deciduous tree of with deeply furrowed bark and thorny branches. It has glossy, dark green-leaves and produces an inedible fruit that resembles a large orange but is inedible and contains a sticky white latex sap. There is one species, Maclura cochinchinensis, that is native to northern Queensland, Australia. Height 12m Spread 8m.
Natural distribution and habitat
It is native to in the Red River drainage of Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas in the United State of America. It grows in harsh areas of south-central North America where the winters can be very cold, spring floods are common, and summer droughts are not unusual.
Conservation status
It is not classified as a threatened species.
Planting pattern
Planted in a combination of straight lines and arcs.
Uses
The native Osage American people used the straight grained wood for war clubs and bows, hence the name Bois D'Arc (bow-wood) givenby the early French settlers who observed this practice. Most of the wood is knotty and twisted, but beautiful and therefore popular for craft work. Early in the European settlement of North America the sharp-thorned trees were planted as cattle-deterring hedges before the introduction of barbed wire. Later, the heavy, close-grained wood became an important source of fence posts. tool handles and other uses requiring a strong wood that withstands rot. A yellow-orange dye can also be extracted from the wood and the wood, when dried, makes excellent firewood. The seed is edible and the fruits are non-toxic but unpalatable.