Invasion of the Popcorn Trees

We can find Popcorn Trees both in Graham Creek Nature Preserve and in the surrounding neighborhoods, field edges and pasture lands. This is not a good thing. “Popcorn tree” is a common name for the Chinese tallow tree (Triadica sebifera). Chinese tallow trees can survive full sunlight, shade, flooding, drought and even fire. These trees can reach reproductive age at three years old and remain productive for at least 60 years. This is great for the tree, but horrible for our native plant species.

Why? Because Chinese tallow can quickly grow to 30 feet or higher and take over whole areas of forest, blocking sunlight from reaching other plants and crowding them out. By degrading the habitat, they harm birds and wildlife. There is some concern that these trees shed toxins that change the soil chemistry and make it difficult for native plants to grow.

The best way to help prevent this from happening is to vigilantly kill and remove these trees whenever and wherever we find them. We can’t eradicate them all, but we can at least work to prevent forests of them from establishing and degrading our ecosystem.

IF YOU HAVE a popcorn tree on your property, our beautiful estuarial lands will benefit if you would please remove it.

History: As its name suggests, the Chinese tallow originated in China. It was brought to North America in the late 1700’s and then brought to the Gulf Coast in the 1900’s to support the soap industry. Chinese vegetable tallow is a solid fat that is in the outer covering of the seeds.