CHINESE TALLOW TREE

Triadica sebifera

LANDHOLDERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTROLLING THIS WEED

This Weed

Description Deciduous tree up to 15 m high, known for its coloured foliage.

Leaves Alternate, heart-shaped, with a pointed tip, 3–8 cm wide and 3–7 cm long. Dark green, turning yellow to red before falling in autumn.

Flowers Small, greenish-yellow, at the end of branches in long slender spikes, up to 20 cm long.

Fruit Capsule, 1.2 cm long and 1.4 cm wide, with three lobes and one seed per lobe. Fruit ripens to black.

Seeds Whitish, pea-shaped, 7–8 mm long and 5–7 mm wide, covered in a chalky coating.

Stems Rough, grey bark with furrows running from top to bottom.

Dispersal Seed dispersed by animals and waterways. Short distance dispersal via root suckers. Deliberate plantings for ornamental purposes.

Confused with Native species Bleeding heart (Omalanthus populifolius).

Control This is not a reportable weed. Wear appropriate PPE when handling this weed. Manually remove where appropriate. Cut and paint, cut scrape paint, frill or stem inject with herbicide.