# Black Locust, Orange Osage, and Red Mulberry   Maine



## efoyt (Sep 12, 2011)

Will any of these three tree's grow in Maine?


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## Wood Duck (Sep 12, 2011)

I think all three would grow in southern Maine, probably none of the three would grow well in far northern Maine. My guess is that summer temperatures are more of a factor than winter temperatures - all three probably need sufficiently warm/hot summers to thrive.


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## firefighterjake (Sep 13, 2011)

Never seen osage orange or red mulberry in Central Maine (Waterville/Bangor/Belfast area) . . . but you will find black locust grows quite well . . . I often see this beside streams. Where in Maine do you live?


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## peterc38 (Sep 13, 2011)

firefighterjake said:
			
		

> Never seen osage orange or red mulberry in Central Maine (Waterville/Bangor/Belfast area) . . . but you will find black locust grows quite well . . . I often see this beside streams. Where in Maine do you live?



Yep, never seen osage orange or red mulberry, but have seen black locust in Maiine, but mostly only in southern sections of the state. I was at my sister in laws in Peru (Oxford county) last weekend and saw a couple decent sized ones there.


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## jpl1nh (Sep 14, 2011)

Lots of native black locust all the way up through the mid coast.  You probably could grow Osage orange up through mid coast and possibly red mulberry but neither are big trees, they'd be ornamentals, and that wouldn't make much sense for firewood, especially when you have yellow birch, sugar maple, hickory, red oak, and black locust readily available, (not to mention ash, apple, cherry, etc) so why worry about those outsiders? Also, once you get inland, you'd be hard pressed to grow Osage orange and red mulberry.


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## efoyt (Sep 23, 2011)

firefighterjake said:
			
		

> Never seen osage orange or red mulberry in Central Maine (Waterville/Bangor/Belfast area) . . . but you will find black locust grows quite well . . . I often see this beside streams. Where in Maine do you live?



i live in monmouth


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## efoyt (Sep 23, 2011)

jpl1nh said:
			
		

> Lots of native black locust all the way up through the mid coast.  You probably could grow Osage orange up through mid coast and possibly red mulberry but neither are big trees, they'd be ornamentals, and that wouldn't make much sense for firewood, especially when you have yellow birch, sugar maple, hickory, red oak, and black locust readily available, (not to mention ash, apple, cherry, etc) so why worry about those outsiders? Also, once you get inland, you'd be hard pressed to grow Osage orange and red mulberry.



I wouldn't want them for fire wood. Black Locust and the others are listed as better then cedar for fence/grape trellis posts. I was wondering if I could find and cut up some instead of cedar since they last longer as fence or trellis posts.  I was also thinking about making a living fence out of Osage orange or Honey Locust.  


http://www.motherearthnews.com/modern-homesteading/living-fences-z10m0sto.aspx


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## firefighterjake (Sep 26, 2011)

Rex said:
			
		

> jpl1nh said:
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Based on where you are . . . not all that far from me since I live about 30-40 minutes from Augusta . . . I would say your best bet would be black locust trees as I know they grow well here in this area . . . once established you could go with some hawthorn if you need to keep out animals (or even people) as hawthorns have some nasty thorns -- pretty fruit -- but nasty thorns.

Neat idea on the living fence . . . I've heard about this before, but never knew anyone who has built one . . . keep us abreast if you go this route.


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## efoyt (May 7, 2013)

So...I just planted 3 red mulberry tree's.  I got them from Fedco Tree's and they listed the tree's as zone 4/5.  Most other sites list the tree's as a zone 5 but Fedco is very good about it's zones.  As the tree's are Maine grown i'm thinking they will have a good chance on my property.  We also just moved from a zone 4 to a zone 5.  I'll post again if they make it through the winter or if they don't.


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