Part of a floristics inventory that was conducted to identify and photograph the vascular plants occurring at Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Texas, from March 2011 to March 2012 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S.
How do Chinese tallow's characteristics make it such an aggressive invader?
The invasive Chinese tallow tree has the ability to reach reproductive age in as little as 3 years and to remain productive for at least 60 years. It does not seem to have a preference for disturbed areas over undisturbed areas and can grow in a variety of places. It can also grow in both full sunlight and shade. It is more tolerant of salinity and flooding than quite a few other native species. It grows in subtropical to warm climates but is hardy and able to withstand a few degrees of frost. It is able to thrive in the United States and is resistant to native insects. In addition, it is somewhat resistant to fire.
Related
How far has Chinese tallow spread in the United States?
Chinese tallow has been cultivated in nurseries and sold as an ornamental tree used for landscaping; however, it is now classified as a nuisance species in some locations and can no longer be sold. It has separate pollen and seed-bearing flowers, and seeds can be spread by birds and by moving water. Chinese tallow has spread from South Carolina all the way down to Florida, west into Texas, and has...
What products can be created with Chinese tallow?
Tallow has been cultivated as a seed-oil crop in China for at least 14 centuries. Candles, soap, cloth dressing, and fuel are made from the tallow. Chinese vegetable tallow is a solid fat that is in the outer covering of the Chinese tallow seeds. The kernels produce an oil called stillingia oil that is used in machine oils, as a crude lamp oil, and in making varnishes and paints. It can also be...
What is an invasive species and why are they a problem?
An invasive species is an introduced, nonnative organism (disease, parasite, plant, or animal) that begins to spread or expand its range from the site of its original introduction and that has the potential to cause harm to the environment, the economy, or to human health. A few well-known examples include the unintentional introduction of the West Nile virus, chestnut blight, the South American...
What is tamarisk?
Tamarisk is an invasive shrub or small tree that is found across the American West. Also known as saltcedar, tamarisk favors sites that are inhospitable to native streamside plants because of high salinity, low water availability, and altered streamflow regimes created by dams. Researchers debate the extent of tamarisk’s negative impacts, but this invasive species can and does alter habitat...
What is buffelgrass?
Buffelgrass is a perennial grass from Africa that is invasive to the Sonoran Desert of the Southwest United States, where it threatens desert ecosystems by out-competing native plants and altering fire regimes. It has the potential to transform the Sonoran Desert ecosystem from a diverse assemblage of plants to a grassland monoculture. Buffelgrass was brought to Arizona in the 1930s for erosion...
What is cheatgrass and how is it harmful?
Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) originated in Europe or Eurasia and was introduced to the U.S. in the mid- to late-1800s as a contaminant in seed and straw. It germinates in the fall and early spring, and grows rapidly and in high numbers, making it highly competitive with native species. Cheatgrass is also disrupting the fire cycle in sage habitat and other Western ecosystems, leading to more...
Chinese Tallow fruits, Triadica sebifera
Part of a floristics inventory that was conducted to identify and photograph the vascular plants occurring at Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Texas, from March 2011 to March 2012 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S.
Chinese Tallow tree, Triadica sebifera
Part of a floristics inventory that was conducted to identify and photograph the vascular plants occurring at Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Texas, from March 2011 to March 2012 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S.
Part of a floristics inventory that was conducted to identify and photograph the vascular plants occurring at Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Texas, from March 2011 to March 2012 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S.
Chinese tallow tree sprayed with herbicide, Triadica sebifera
Part of a floristics inventory that was conducted to identify and photograph the vascular plants occurring at Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Texas, from March 2011 to March 2012 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S.
Part of a floristics inventory that was conducted to identify and photograph the vascular plants occurring at Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Texas, from March 2011 to March 2012 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S.
PubTalk 8/2010 — Invasives and Wildfires in the West
New Crossroads in Science, Policy, and Management
by Julio Betancourt, Sr. Scientist and Desert Ecologist
New Crossroads in Science, Policy, and Management
by Julio Betancourt, Sr. Scientist and Desert Ecologist
Related
How far has Chinese tallow spread in the United States?
Chinese tallow has been cultivated in nurseries and sold as an ornamental tree used for landscaping; however, it is now classified as a nuisance species in some locations and can no longer be sold. It has separate pollen and seed-bearing flowers, and seeds can be spread by birds and by moving water. Chinese tallow has spread from South Carolina all the way down to Florida, west into Texas, and has...
What products can be created with Chinese tallow?
Tallow has been cultivated as a seed-oil crop in China for at least 14 centuries. Candles, soap, cloth dressing, and fuel are made from the tallow. Chinese vegetable tallow is a solid fat that is in the outer covering of the Chinese tallow seeds. The kernels produce an oil called stillingia oil that is used in machine oils, as a crude lamp oil, and in making varnishes and paints. It can also be...
What is an invasive species and why are they a problem?
An invasive species is an introduced, nonnative organism (disease, parasite, plant, or animal) that begins to spread or expand its range from the site of its original introduction and that has the potential to cause harm to the environment, the economy, or to human health. A few well-known examples include the unintentional introduction of the West Nile virus, chestnut blight, the South American...
What is tamarisk?
Tamarisk is an invasive shrub or small tree that is found across the American West. Also known as saltcedar, tamarisk favors sites that are inhospitable to native streamside plants because of high salinity, low water availability, and altered streamflow regimes created by dams. Researchers debate the extent of tamarisk’s negative impacts, but this invasive species can and does alter habitat...
What is buffelgrass?
Buffelgrass is a perennial grass from Africa that is invasive to the Sonoran Desert of the Southwest United States, where it threatens desert ecosystems by out-competing native plants and altering fire regimes. It has the potential to transform the Sonoran Desert ecosystem from a diverse assemblage of plants to a grassland monoculture. Buffelgrass was brought to Arizona in the 1930s for erosion...
What is cheatgrass and how is it harmful?
Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) originated in Europe or Eurasia and was introduced to the U.S. in the mid- to late-1800s as a contaminant in seed and straw. It germinates in the fall and early spring, and grows rapidly and in high numbers, making it highly competitive with native species. Cheatgrass is also disrupting the fire cycle in sage habitat and other Western ecosystems, leading to more...
Chinese Tallow fruits, Triadica sebifera
Part of a floristics inventory that was conducted to identify and photograph the vascular plants occurring at Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Texas, from March 2011 to March 2012 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S.
Part of a floristics inventory that was conducted to identify and photograph the vascular plants occurring at Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Texas, from March 2011 to March 2012 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S.
Chinese Tallow tree, Triadica sebifera
Part of a floristics inventory that was conducted to identify and photograph the vascular plants occurring at Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Texas, from March 2011 to March 2012 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S.
Part of a floristics inventory that was conducted to identify and photograph the vascular plants occurring at Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Texas, from March 2011 to March 2012 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S.
Chinese tallow tree sprayed with herbicide, Triadica sebifera
Part of a floristics inventory that was conducted to identify and photograph the vascular plants occurring at Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Texas, from March 2011 to March 2012 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S.
Part of a floristics inventory that was conducted to identify and photograph the vascular plants occurring at Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Texas, from March 2011 to March 2012 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S.
PubTalk 8/2010 — Invasives and Wildfires in the West
New Crossroads in Science, Policy, and Management
by Julio Betancourt, Sr. Scientist and Desert Ecologist
New Crossroads in Science, Policy, and Management
by Julio Betancourt, Sr. Scientist and Desert Ecologist
Updated Date: February 21, 2025