Tallow Trees

Hello, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. Many invasive plants -- Kudzu, privet, Japanese honeysuckle, tree of Heaven were all purposely brought here for their attractive flowers, ease of growth, or erosion control. None other than the usually thoughtful Benjamin Franklin brought the tallow tree, native to China and Japan, and often called the popcorn tree, back from Europe. The seeds have a waxy coating and in its native range have for several thousand years been used to make soap and candles. In the early 1900’s our own US Department of Agriculture encouraged farmers in Southern states to plant it hoping to start up a soap-making industry. It is beloved by some beekeepers as it has yellow flowers that the also non-native European Honey bee adores. It’s so invasive that it’s on the Nature Conservancy’s ten most wanted list.