Argentine Osage Orange

Argentine Osage Orange (M. pomifera pictured)

Common Name(s): Argentine Osage Orange, Fustic

Scientific Name: Maclura tinctoria

Distribution: Tropical America (West Indies, Central and South America)

Tree Size: 60-80 ft (18-25 m) tall, 2-3 ft (.6-1.0 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 57 lbs/ft³ (910 kg/m³)

Basic Specific Gravity: .75

Hardness: 2,380 lb_f (10,590 N)

Bending Strength: 19,560 lb_f/in² (134,900 kPa)

Elasticity: 2,160,000 lb_f/in² (14,900 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 3.4%, Tangential: 5.4%, Volumetric: 7.8%, T/R Ratio: 1.6

Color/Appearance: Heartwood is golden to bright yellow, which almost certainly ages to a darker medium brown with time: primarily due to exposure to UV light. See the article Preventing Color Changes in Exotic Woods for more details.

Grain/Pore: Has a straight to interlocked grain, with a fine to medium texture. Pores are closed.

Durability: Argentine Osage Orange is very durable and has good weathering characteristics; it is also resistant to termites.

Workability: Working this wood can be difficult due to its hardness and density, though it is reported to have little dulling effect on cutting edges. It turns well, and also takes stains, glues and finishes well.

Smell: There is no characteristic odor associated with this wood species.

Safety: Sap has been reported to cause dermatitis. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Price Range: Argentine Osage Orange should be moderately priced for an imported hardwood. Prices are likely to be comparable to the domestic species of Osage Orange.

Comments: Argentine Osage Orange is known by a host of names throughout its natural range in South America, though historically the wood has been known in English as Fustic. However, because of its close relation and similar working properties to Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera) found in North America, merchants of imported hardwoods have referred to this wood as Argentine Osage Orange. This imported wood tends to be available in larger sizes, and with less knots or twists than the domestic species.

Argentine Osage Orange is sometimes called Fustic because the wood contains a yellow dye called fustic—which has historically been used in making brown, yellow, and green colored dyes for fabric. Some other common uses of the wood include include: heavy construction (within the tree’s natural range), flooring, furniture, turnings, and other small specialty wood items.

Related Species:

Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera)

Scans/Pictures: There are currently no pictures of this exact wood species, but a similar species within the Maclura genus is being substituted (M. pomifera). If you’d like to contribute a wood sample of this specific species to be scanned, (even small pieces of veneer can be sent), please use the contact form.