Guide And Practice

Tallow Tree

Sapium

A genus of close to 100 species of mostly deciduous trees and shrubs related to Euphorbia, that are native to Central America and southeast Asia.
Sapiums mostly prefer full sun and well drained soil.

Sapium binoculare ( Jumping Bean Sapium )
A small tree native to southern Arizona, northwest Mexico and the Baja Peninsula, reaching a maximum height of 20 feet.
The lance shaped, deciduous leaves are up to 2.5 inches in length.
The milky sap is poisonous and causes painful swelling if it contacts eyes and nose.

Sapium ellipticum
Some records include: fastest recorded growth rate - ; largest on record - 120 feet with a trunk diameter of 3.5 feet.
The leaves are up to 6 x 2 inches.

Sapium glandulosum
A tall tree native to Argentina reaching a maximum height of 100 feet with a trunk diameter of 16 inches.
The leaves are up to 6 x 1.5 inches.

Sapium japonicum
A rare, moderate growing, upright, deciduous small tree, reaching a maximum size of 50 ( rarely over 30 ) feet, that is native to south Korea.
The oval leaves, up to 6 x 4 inches, are deep blue-green in summer, turning spectacular orange and red in autumn.
The yellow-green flowers are borne in clusters, up to 4 inches in length, during early summer.
The attractive, roughly striate bark is pale silver-greyish.
Hardy zones 5 to 8, it tolerates harsh conditions and loves hot summers.
An excellent ornamental tree for the Pacific Northwest, it may become invasive in the southeastern U.S. Thrives in the Mid Atlantic.

* photos taken on October 17 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.








Sapium sebiferum ( Chinese Tallow Tree )
An attractive, fast growing, rounded tree native to China and Japan that reaches up to around 40 feet. It makes an excellent street tree but only in climates where it does not become invasive.
Some records include: fastest recorded growth rate - trunk diameter increase of 2 inches; 1 st year - 6 feet; 5 years - 30 x 20 feet; 20 years - trunk diameter of 16 inches; largest on record - 80 x 70 feet with a trunk diameter of 4.2 feet; longest lived - 100 + years. It has escaped into the wild and become a noxious weed in the southern U.S where it is taking over bottomland forests and is extremely difficult to control. One tree can produce up to 100 000 seeds yearly. Previously it was used as a street shade tree.
The sharply pointed, rounded to oval leaves are up to 6 x 4 inches.
The foliage turns orange, scarlet-red and purple in December before falling.
The Poplar-like leaves hang loosely.
The yellow-green flowers are borne in upright spikes up to 3 inches in length during summer.
They are followed by waxy coated fruits. The fruit capsules, persisting into winter, are 3-parted, up to 0.5 inches, open to reveal white seeds.
The wax is used to make candles in China.
The light tan color bark becomes coarsely furrowed on older trees..
Hardy zones 8 to 11 ( reports of zone 6b ). It is injured at -3 F. Very flood and salt water tolerant.

* photos of unknown internet source