Thorny Things in Texas

[WDH]

There are a lot of thorny problems in Texas............. :

What is this?

[Texas Ranger]

You traveled far afield, my friend, triloba.

[limbrat]

Yea thats a wicked little orange.  I thought it was trifolid. I think is is used for root stock because of its hardyness. Do you have a picture of the new plants coming out of the ground from the fallen fruit?
If its what it think it is, I was told it was brought here by and cultivated by sailors who used it restock stores back when ships were pushed by the wind. And later mover inland as a yard orniment, most of them that i can lay hands on are near old home sites.

[WDH]

Yep.  Mock orange or tri-foliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata).  Came from SE Asia and escaped. 

[thurlow]

Only ever saw 'em on one farm in West TN........not to say they're not in other places.  For a long time, I was convinced they were some type of wild lemon, because of the fruit.  I had this farm rented for about 40 yrs and they grew wild in a creek bottom.  Sharpest "thorn" I can imagine.  According to Wikipedia, they are native to parts of the U S........don't know, just axing?  ;D  Also, according to Wikipedia, one (Lewis's mock orange) is the state flower of Idaho.

[WDH]

I don't think that they are native, but instead, they have naturalized.

[Dodgy Loner]

WDH's picture is of a trifoliate orange, Poncirus trifoliata.  They are native to Asia, not North America.  Mock-oranges are completely unrelated, being members of the genus Philadelphus, and are native throughout the US.  They have no thorns, opposite leaves, and their fruits are capsules, not berries (yes, citrus fruits are berries!)  Lewis's mock-orange is Philadelphus lewisii.  I think we have one native species in GA, odorless mock-orange (Philadelphus inodora).

[Texas Ranger]

the problem is, in Texas any way, the trifoliate orange is known as the mock orange, names seem to change from state to state, etc.

[Dodgy Loner]

That's the problem with common names.  I've heard folks in different parts of GA call sweetgums by the name of redgum, gumball tree, and star oak.  It's always a good idea to use scientific names in a forum like this, where you've got people discussing trees from all over the world.

[SwampDonkey]

WDH's picture is of a trifoliate orange, Poncirus trifoliata.  They are native to Asia, not North America.  Mock-oranges are completely unrelated, being members of the genus Philadelphus, and are native throughout the US.  They have no thorns, opposite leaves, and their fruits are capsules, not berries (yes, citrus fruits are berries!)  Lewis's mock-orange is Philadelphus lewisii.  I think we have one native species in GA, odorless mock-orange (Philadelphus inodora).

Yes, I don't remember mock orange being thorny. They grow tall with a white lilac form to it, don't grow broad like lavender lilacs.