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Clicking any heading in the main data area (at right) will scroll the page back to this top position. Use the following links to jump to the associated section in the main data. Blunting Effect Boring Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Schedules Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Painting Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Steam Bending Substitutes Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Varnishing Scientific Name Maclura pomifera Trade Name Osage orange Family Name Common Names Bodare, Bodark, Bodock, Bois d'arc, Bow wood, Hedge, Hedge apple, Horse apple, Naranjo chino, Osage, Osage orange Regions of Distribution North America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] United States Common Uses Dyewood , Foundation posts, Insulator pins, Posts, Stakes Environmental Profile Abundant/Secure The environmental status of Osage orange within its natural boundaries has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview 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. 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. It prefers floodplain forests, old fields and fencerows. Heartwood Color The heartwood is greenish yellow, or golden-yellow to bright orange when first cut. It turns russet-brown upon exposure and ages to expose dark streaks of color Sapwood Color Yellow White Light yellow brown or pale orange brown, eventually aging into deep golden-brown Grain Even Stright and closed The grain is comparable to that of black locust. Decorative mottles are sometimes exhibited in some boards Texture Close Fair to medium coarse Luster High Natural Durability Perishable Sapwood non-resistant to furniture beetles Resistant to decay The wood is reported to rate as the most durable of all North American timbers. It is reported to last indefinitely when used as stakes and post, and is practically unaffected by changes in humidity Odor Has an odor No specific smell or taste Kiln Schedules 6 - A2 (4/4); T3 - A1 (8/4) U Drying Defects Checking Distortion Ease of Drying Medium to High Shrinkage Reconditioning Treatement Seasons well with little degrade Mild kiln schedules are recommended The material's shrinking properties are slightly more than Sugar pine Tree Size The tree is described as medium sized and spiny. It is reported to develop a short stem that is often crooked. It is reported to mature to a height of about 50 feet (15 m), with a trunk diameter of about 2 feet (60 cm) Product Sources The tree is seldom harvested for lumber or for veneers. It is, however, available in adequate supplies, at moderate prices for very small projects. Substitutes Fustic (Chlorophora tinctoria) is similar in color, texture and density. Blunting Effect Little Boring Fair to good results Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Difficult to saw Gluing Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fairly good gluing properties Mortising Poor to Very Poor Results Moulding Poor to Very Poor Results Movement in Service Excellent Stability - Small Movement Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Dimensional stability is very high after the timber is properly seasoned to the appropriate moisture content Nailing Pre-Boring Recommended Fair to Good Results The wood is hard, which makes it rather difficult to nail Planing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Machining properties are affected by the hardness of the wood. It is considered to be generally hard to work, and tools usually require frequent sharpening Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Permeable sapwood Response to Hand Tools Responds Readily Routing & Recessing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Sanding Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Screwing Fair to Good Results Pre-boring recommended Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good screw holding properties Turning Very Good to Excellent Results Steam Bending Fair to Good Results Painting Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Polishing Very Good to Excellent Results Staining Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Oil finishes are not recommended since they are reported to accelerate color change Varnishing Fair to Good Results Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Specific Gravity 0.68 0.72 Weight 59 54 lbs/ft3 Volumetric Shrinkage 9 % Item Green Dry Metric Specific Gravity 0.68 0.72 Weight 945 865 kg/m3 References Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois, E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Hardwoods - Temperate and Tropical. USDA, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. Kline, M. 1978. Maclura pomifera - Osage-orange. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World. Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. 1994. Page 220-221. Little, E.L. 1980. The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Western Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York. Panshin, A.J. and C. deZeeuw. Textbook of Wood Technology. McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York. USDA. 1988. Dry Kiln Operators Manual, Preliminary Copy. Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.