The Differences Between a Mulberry Tree and an Osage Orange Tree

Size, Form and Growth

• The mulberry tree grows to 50 feet with an equal spread. Its rounded crown tends to spread and widen as the tree matures. The Osage orange tree grows from 40 to 60 feet with an almost equal spread and also has a rounded, broad crown. Both species have a fast growth rate, with the mulberry gaining more than 36 inches per growing season and the Osage orange growing up to 36 inches per season.

Foliage

• Mulberry trees have dark, lustrous leaves with serrated margins. Mulberry foliage can be simple or lobed; both types can be present on the same branch. Leaves have an alternate arrangement and can grow up to 8 inches long. In contrast, Osage orange leaves grow from 2 to 5 inches long and are bright green. Osage orange foliage is simple with a pointed tip. In late fall, mulberry tree foliage transforms into nondescript yellow shades, while Osage orange leaves may turn yellow-green.

Flowers and Fruit

• From March through April, mulberry trees bloom with pendulous catkins of tiny, yellow blossoms. Osage orange blooms a few months later in June, producing small green flowers. Neither floral display is showy. Mulberry fruits, however, are quite showy; these 1-inch fruits emerge as cylindrical white or pink drupes that mature to red, black or purple by mid-summer. Birds and wildlife flock to these sweet, blackberry-like fruits, contributing to a mess beneath the trees. Mulberry cultivars, such as "Chaparal," may be fruitless. Osage orange trees produce showy grapefruit-sized fruits that ripen in fall. Osage orange fruits -- also known as hedge apples -- consist of collective clusters of small green fruits.

Cultural Requirements

• Mulberry trees are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 to 8, while Osage orange trees are hardy in zones 4 to 9. Both species tolerate air pollution and drought, but Osage orange also grows in clay soil. Mulberry trees prefer full sun exposures and thrive in rich, moist and well-draining soil. Osage orange trees also grow best in full sun and well-draining soil, but tolerate wet or dry sites.