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Forestry
Champion Trees
Chinese Tallow-Tree -
[Sapium sebiferum (L.) Roxb.]
This unusual tree, commonly known as the Chinese Tallow-Tree, originally
hailed from China and Japan. In central and
northern Arkansas they are not often included as a landscape plant because they
do not over-winter well, resulting in extreme branch die-back. However, if
protected they seem little bothered, and flourish especially in southern
Arkansas. This handsome specimen, a new Arkansas Champion Tree, was discovered
by retired Monroe County Cooperative Extension Service Agent Reggie Talley and Arkansas
Forestry Commission Information and Education Director Jim Grant. It is located
in the front yard at the south corner of 7th and Main streets in Des Arc,
Arkansas.
The Chinese Tallow -Tree [Sapium sebiferum (L.) Roxb.] is an oriental
ornamental that is cultivated and used in landscaping as a specimen tree, or as
screening plants especially when brilliant fall colors are desirable. The poplar
shaped leaves turn an autumnal deep red color that contrasts well with the
abundant clusters of white seeds, which gives rise to another vernacular name,
the Popcorn Tree.
A small tree with a rounded crown, it is sometimes cultivated for ornament,
escaping and has through the years naturalized itself along the Atlantic and
Gulf coast regions. Fast growing and resilient, this beauty has become a
"weed tree" in that warm, humid climate, forming dense colonies. The
alternately arranged leaves are 1 to 3 and 1/2 inches long and 1 to3 inches broad,
deep green and glabrous above, paler below. The fruit is a three lobed capsule
that
splits three ways in the fall exposing the three white seeds.
The genus name, Sapium, was given by Pliny to a resinous pine, and the
species name, sebiferum, refers to the vegetable tallow, or wax of the fruit,
which gives rise to another vernacular name, Vegetable Tallow-tree. The milky
sap of the tree is poisonous, but the tree is cultivated in China for the wax of
the seed covering which is used for soap, candles, and water-proofing for cloth.
The wax was formerly imported into the United States. However, mineral waxes and
synthetic compounds have almost entirely taken its place. The tree is easily
propagated by seeds and cuttings.
The average height and spread is 30 feet and the trunk diameter is usually in
the 6 inch range. This Arkansas Champion Chinese Tallow-Tree has a trunk
diameter of 10.7 inches, a crown spread of 32 feet, plus a height of 39 feet
which yields a Bigness Index (BI) of 81. This beautiful species has been
officially reported in only 7 central and southern counties of Arkansas although
it is likely to be found in most of the southern half of our great state of
Arkansas.
By: Reggie Talley
Retired Monroe County Extension Agent
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