Common Name(s): | Chinese Tallow Tree, Tallow Tree,Chinese |
Scientific Name: | Sapium sebiferum |
Family: | Euphorbiaceae |
Longevity: | Perennial |
Season: | Cool |
Origin: | Introduced |
Height: | 10 m |
Flowers: | April - June |
Fruits: | Fall |
Description: An introduced tree adapted to a variety of sites. It is highly invasive (considered one
of the most invasive plants in the U.S.) and can replace native plant communities, reducing native species diversity. Was promoted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the early 1900's in Gulf Coast states to establish a local soap industry. Now rarely used for that purpose but has since been planted as an ornamental for its colorful autumn foliage. Rarely escapes in our region due to cold stress. Contact with the plant can cause dermatitis in some people, and the milky sap is reportedly poisonous to humans and some livestock. The fruit is eaten by many species of birds. |