A grown tree in full leaf, nothing hanging in itA grown tree in full leaf, nothing hanging in itWhite Shield is Osage orange with the problems bred out of it. It is a male clone, so it never sets a hedge apple, and it came out of the Kansas trials as the thornless one. What is left is a genuinely tough 35 by 35 shade tree with glossy dark leaves and clean yellow fall color that will grow in wet, drought, heat, wind, and just about any soil.
Off-the-lot means you pick it up and plant it yourself. Planted means we deliver it, plant it right, and back it with our Year One warranty. Tap a price to add it to your list, then send the whole list to Matt in one request. Want several of one tree, or a mix? Add them all and Matt quotes the count.
What does "gallon" mean? It is the size of the container the tree is growing in, not how many trees you get. The bigger the number, the bigger and more established the tree you take home, so a 30 gallon tree gives you shade and privacy years sooner than a 15 gallon one.
Full warranty for one year after planting. This comes with any needed care and free check ups upon request. All needed treatments or pruning are included for first year. If tree fails to thrive, no cost replacement.
Picked, delivered, and planted by a Board Certified Master Arborist.
Follow-up visits through the whole first year, not a wave goodbye.
Deep root feeding and structural pruning while it takes hold.
That is the warranty. No fine print, no chasing us down.
Pick a spot with full sun. This one matures between 20 and 40 feet, so plant it about 15 feet from the house and 12 to 15 feet from other trees. Heavy Missouri clay is not a problem for this tree. Growth rate is fast, so you know what to expect season to season.
Not sure about your spot? Send us a photo of the yard with your quote request and we will tell you straight if it will work.
Water deeply once or twice a week through the first growing season, and step it up in July and August heat. Keep a 2 to 3 inch mulch ring around the base, pulled back from the trunk. Spring and fall are both good planting windows in mid-Missouri.
Or skip the checklist: have us plant it and Year One covers all of this. We feed it, prune it, and come back to check on it.
Request a quote and tell us where it is going. We will confirm availability, delivery, and a planting date.
Straight answers to what people ask before they buy. Anything else, just call.
No. White Shield is a male clone, so it makes pollen and never fruit. Those heavy softball-sized green fruit only come off female trees. If you have ever had to clear them out from under a wild hedge tree before mowing, avoiding exactly that is what you are paying for here.
Essentially yes. Wild Osage orange carries a stout spine at almost every leaf node, which is precisely why it got planted as livestock fencing before barbed wire existed. White Shield had the fewest thorns of anything in the Kansas trials and comes through thornless at the nursery that propagates it. We would still not put it where a toddler grabs at low branches, but it is nothing like the wild tree.
Not originally, and it is worth being precise. It is native to the Red River country of Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. It got planted across Missouri by the thousands in the 1800s as living fence, before barbed wire, and it naturalized out of those hedgerows. So it is thoroughly at home here and has been for 150 years, but Missouri is not where it started.
Yes. Every tree on the lot has an off-the-lot price, you pick it up and plant it yourself. The planted price adds delivery, planting, and the Year One warranty.
Every planted tree comes with follow-up visits, deep root feeding, and structural pruning through its first year. If the tree fails in Year One, we make it right. You can extend it to Year Two for 20 percent and Year Three for 15 percent of the planted price.
Spring and fall are both good windows. Fall planting gives the roots time to settle in before summer heat. Request a quote and we will work out timing with you.
Yes. The whole lot is open to trade buyers. Ask about volume pricing when you reach out.
Tell us the spot and the job. A Board Certified Master Arborist picks with you, plants it right, and stands behind it for Year One.
