Historical Name: Point Breeze
Common Name: Osage Orange
Latin Name: Maclura pomifera
The Point Breeze Osage Orange tree grows in Bordentown, NJ on the former estate of Joseph Bonaparte, the older brother of Napoleon Bonaparte. Joseph, the one-time King of Spain, fled Europe after the downfall of his brother and settled in the United States in 1815. Joseph was warmly received in our country because we remembered France’s help in our struggle for freedom during the previous century. Joseph purchased a huge tract of land along the Delaware River in Bordentown, NJ where he built a mansion and developed extensive gardens throughout the property. Evidence suggests that an Osage Orange tree growing on what is now a Bordentown park was planted by Joseph, having purchased what back then would have been a rare, exotic tree from a nursery in nearby Philadelphia.
That Osage Orange tree at Point Breeze apparently has a connection to the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1804, through Thomas Jefferson. Lewis and Clark sent Osage Orange seeds they collected to Jefferson, who in turn gave them to nurseries in Philadelphia. One of those nurseries sold many trees and shrubs to Joseph Bonaparte. While it has not been proven that the Osage Orange at Point Breeze was grown from seeds collected by Lewis and Clark, its size and age when compared to known Lewis and Clark Osage Orange trees make a strong case that it is of the same vintage.
The Point Breeze Osage Orange was planted into the UCNJ Historic Tree Grove in 2024. It was grown from seeds collected at Point Breeze in 2021.