Chinese Tallow

Chinese tallow was once a popular landscape tree in the Southeast, and it can still be found in some Florida yards.

The leaves are heart-shaped and turn vibrant red in the fall. The seeds, which also appear in autumn, give the plant the nickname "popcorn tree."

However, research has shown that the Chinese tallow is an invasive species, meaning that it grows and spreads rapidly, and it takes over natural areas. Florida's protected natural areas, like Paynes Prairie State Preserve, are being overrun by the plant.

In 1998, it was placed on the State of Florida Noxious Weed List, and sale or distribution is no longer permitted.

Birds eat the seeds and their droppings spread the tallow to other landscapes and natural areas. Seeds can also be carried to other new sites by water.

Floridians can help slow the further spread of Chinese tallow by removing these hard-to-kill trees from their properties. After cutting down the trees, treat the stumps with herbicide to prevent resprouting.

UF/IFAS Sites

• Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants: Chinese Tallow
• Five Invasive Plants to Know

UF/IFAS Publications

• Chinese Tallow (Sapium sebiferum L.)
• Chinese Tallow is Invasive (PDF)
• Popcorn Trees Are Popping Up Everywhere (PDF)

Other Sites

• Chinese Tallow--USDA National Invasive Species Information Center
• Chinese Tallow: Invading the Southeastern Coastal Plain--USGS National Wetlands Research Center (PDF)
• Chinese Tallow Management Plan for Florida--Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (PDF)
• How to Take Out Tallow Trees--Texas AgriLife Extension (PDF)
• Invasive Tallowtree Spreading Rapidly Across Gulf Coast--Science Daily