The Japanese tallow tree is a small tree native to China, Korea, and Japan, prized by gardeners for its fall color: leaves turn yellow, then deep crimson. It doesn't grow wild in the US; you'll only see it planted as an ornamental. It's a different species from the invasive Chinese tallow tree of the Southern states.
Appearance
- Growth form
- A slow-growing deciduous shrub or small tree up to about 26 ft (8 m), with smooth, gray-brown branches.
- Leaves
- Leaves are oval to elliptic, 3–6 in (7–16 cm) long, with smooth edges. Broken leaves and twigs ooze a milky sap.
- Flowers
- Small, petal-less, yellow-green flowers in slender spikes 2–4 in (4.5–11 cm) long; female flowers sit at the base and male flowers above.
- Fruit
- Three-sided round capsules about 0.5 in (1–1.5 cm) across ripen in fall and split open explosively, flinging out spotted seeds.
Look-alikes
Chinese tallow treeTriadica sebifera
Chinese tallow has broad, diamond-shaped leaves that often end in a long, narrow tip; this tree has plain oval to elliptic leaves.
Why they get mixed upBoth are called 'tallow tree,' both have milky sap and brilliant fall color, and both were once placed in the genus Sapium.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- mountain forests
- stream valleys
- Range
- Native to China, Korea, and Japan. It doesn't grow wild in the US but is sometimes planted as an ornamental.
- Preferred conditions
- In the wild it grows in moist temperate forests, often near streams. In gardens it's rated for USDA zone 6.
Growing it
- Care
- One tree in Pennsylvania came through −22°F (−30°C) without damage. Seeds need about three months of cold, moist storage before they sprout.
Name and classification
- About the name
- Older books list it as Sapium japonicum. It's the only species in its genus.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
More species to explore
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