Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera)

Family: Moraceae | Edibility: Edible (1/5)

Bloom Color: White. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Rounded, Spreading or horizontal.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Leaves

Harvest Seasons: Spring, Early Summer

Flavor & Culinary Uses

One report suggests that the fruit is edible but this is surely a mistake - although very large, the fruit is harsh, hard, dry and astringent. — One report suggests that the fruit is edible but this is surely a mistake - although very large, the fruit is harsh, hard, dry and astringent.; The fruit does, however, contain an anti-oxidant which can be used as a food preservative, especially for oils.; The heartwood and the root yield a non-toxic antibiotic that is useful as a food preservative.

Habitat & North American Range

Woods, fields and thickets in rich bottom lands. (Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8, Zone 9)