The terrible tallow
Stopping to smell the flowers
Arlene Marturano marturanoa@ yahoo.com

The popcorn tree is the Chinese tallow tree, Sapium sebiferum, an immigrant species that entered the U.S. from China in the 1700s via Andre Michaux, botanist and plant collector.

Plantations in China cultivated the tree as a seed crop and ornamental for about 14 centuries.

The outer covering of the seed contains solid fat known as vegetable tallow used for making candles, soap, cloth sizing, and fuel.

The kernel produces a drying oil used in oil paints and varnishes. After oil is extracted from the seed, the remaining high protein seed meal becomes animal feed, and the residual becomes fertilizer for crops.

The close- grained white wood is used for carving blocks in Chinese printing, furniture making, and incense. The Chinese extract a black dye from the leaves, and it's grown as a honey plant by beekeepers.

I t ' s used as a soil binder along roads and canals. Scientists tote the tallow tree as a source of biomass for clean burning h o - ney- scente d biodiesel.

The fast growing deciduous tree develops an attractive shade tree crown and leaf color and turns gold, orange, red, and purple in the autumn.

The tallow tree is one of the best trees for fall color in the South. During the golden phase, the tallow tree turns orange, red, and purple.

However, the plant with so many redeeming qualities was named nasty weed by noted University of Georgia horticulturist, Michael Dirr, and placed on The Dirty Dozen- America's Least

Wanted list by the Nature

Conservancy.

Its aggressive growth habit has altered native ecosystems across its path. Native species must compete for space and resources with nonnatives.

The U.S. Geological Survey notes gulf coastal prairie plants and animals are threatened because the tallow tree replaces a diversified native ecosystem with a monoculture in a very short time.

Ranchers plagued with tallow trees note the leaves and fruit are toxic to grazing cattle.

In 2006, the USDA Forest Service's Southern Research Station has studied the tree's potential for the forest products industry. The wood's structure may be suitable for composite building panels.

Although the political fate of the tallow tree is uncertain, I plan to enjoy its heart- shaped leaves swaying in the breeze, the colorful autumn foliage, and my popcorn wreath.