Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Southeastern United States, South-Central United States, Texas
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Maclura pomifera
Number of Varieties
31
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Grassland, Hillside, Humid climates, Roadsides, Woods
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-84-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
10-1
Sunset Zone
A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
2a, 2b, 3a, 10, 11, 12, 13
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm760.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm1,219.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Yellow green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Yellow, Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Spring, Late Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering, Water Deeply, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
-
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Cancer, Tooth ache, Urinary tract problems
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Bark, Flowers, Fruits
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used as an insecticide, Wood log is used in making fences
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Mixed Border, Shade Trees, Street Trees
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
MACLURA pomifera
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Bois d’arc, Hedge Apple, Osage Orange
In Hindi
Mousemelon
ओसेज संतरे
In German
Maus Melone
Osage Orange
In French
Mousemelon
Osage orange
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Osage naranja
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Osage Πορτοκαλί
In Portuguese
melão rato
Osage laranja
In Polish
mysz melona
Osage Pomarańczowy
In Latin
mouse melon
Aliquam Osage
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Rosales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Moraceae
Genus
Cucumis
Maclura
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Melothrieae
Moreae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
501
1
27800
👆🏻