Chinese Tallow-tree

Triadica sebifera

Found in freshwater marshes; swamps; streams, rivers and their banks; forests and woodlands; roadsides, fields and disturbed ground. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Florida edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Severe harm

Not native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 82%

Height: 30–40 feet
Spread: 30–40 feet
Light: Dappled sunlight, Deep shade, Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Usually moist

See native alternatives

Triadica sebifera — whole photograph — Nathan Howell; Howell, Krings and Braham (2016) · CC BY 4.0 · Original photograph

Do not plant. Listed invasive in Florida.

Plant this instead

Your county

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Cockspur Hawthorn
Crataegus crus-galli
Sun: Full sun. Soil: Dry to average. Flowers: White.
Similar growth form, height, spread
Green Hawthorn
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Sun: Full sun. Soil: Somewhat dry to average. Flowers: White.
Similar growth form, height, spread
Downy Serviceberry
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Sun: Full sun. Soil: Dry to average. Flowers: White.
Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous

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At a glance

Life cycle: Woody perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: May to June
Fruiting season: August to November

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Recorded in 58 Florida counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 5

Regional / representative. Shown: Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Georgia; representative pond ecosystem, a neighboring state.Georgia pond and emergent wetland, Robert 'Bob' Hynes, 1997. Public domain. Source record.

Regional / representative. Shown: Southern coastal swamps, Florida to Virginia; state not identified, a neighboring state.Loblolly bay in a coastal swamp, Marian Ellis Rowan, 1901. Public domain. Source record.

Named place / source context. Shown: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia, a neighboring state.Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain., Unidentified in HFC record, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Streams, rivers and their banks

Flowing water and its banks, bars and rocky shoals.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Florida. Shared habitat, not food. 219 animals.

Wilson's Snipe
Gallinago delicata
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Wilson's Warbler
Wilsonia pusilla
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Wood Thrush
Hylocichla mustelina
Birds. 1 shared habitat

All wildlife of Florida

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

3CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL

Genus host records with ranges including FL · Triadica

Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
Selenisa sueroidesTailpipes, Pale-Edged Selenisa Moth
Caloptilia triadicae

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

—Specialist beesPollen specialists

1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Triadica

Sturnus vulgarisEuropean Starling

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Euphorbiaceae
Hardiness: Zones 8a–10b
Soil pH: Acidic to neutral
Flower color: Yellow or green
Fruit begins: August
Fruit ends: November

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “May to June” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Yellow or green” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Fruit begins · “August” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “November” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Hardiness · “Zones 8a–10b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “30–40 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Fire Effects Information System: Triadica sebifera differs)
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Dappled sunlight (shade through upper canopy all day); Deep shade (less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight); Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Moist” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil pH · “Acidic to neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “30–40 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Chinese Tallow Tree; Chinese Tallowtree; Popcorn Tree; Popcorntree; Sapium sebiferum

Conservation status

Florida rank	SNA
Global rank	GNR
FL status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source