Terrestrial Plants: Chinese Tallow Tree (Triadica sebifera)

Origin and Date of Introduction: China; 1772.

Pathway / Media: Escaped into natural ecosystems from nurseries.

Reason for Introduction: Deliberate, as ornamental first introduced by Benjamin Franklin.

Preferred Habitat: Forested areas; swamp edges.

Ecological / Economic Damage: Crowds out native plants. A single Chinese tallow tree, such as this specimen in the Manchac swamp, can produce 100,000 seeds a year, which can spread to surrounding areas by birds, water, and wind.



Photo: Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Auburn Univeristy, Alabama A&M University)

Futher Reading: USDA Invasive Species Information Center