COMMENT OF THE DAY: THEY TOOK OUR YARDS! “The Chinese Tallow has been taking quite a beating lately in the press. ‘Wahhh, kill them all because they’re not native and they’re invasive!’ I’m starting to get these hateful declarations confused with Arizona’s immigration law. How about if instead of simply dismissing it as a ‘noxious weed,’ we instead think about the potential of that much fast-growing biomass. Fear is what’s invasive.” [kilray, commenting on Comment of the Day: Gotta Know Your Chinese Imports]
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There is no irrational fear of the Chinese Tallow tree. Only irrational ignorance on the part of those who think it can harmlessly be used in landscaping. Chinese Tallow tree seeds are transported by birds to coastal prairies. Only 1% of the original prairies still exist. Coastal prairies are incredibly important habitat for birds, especially, as well as many other species of wildlife. The Chinese Tallow tree invades the coastal prairies, grow like crazy, shade out all competing vegitation and destroy the habitat for native wildlife. Once a chinese tallow tree is introduced, it can be virtually impossible to remove. Even after cutting it down, burning it and pulling the roots out, sapplings eventually return, requiring constant vigil by wildlife officials. In fact, it may actually be easier for a coastal prairie to recover from an oil spill than from the invasion of Chinese Tallow tree.
Killing the coastal plains; just one more reason to hate those dastardly excuses for trees.
The coastal plains have mostly been killed by development, farming, cattle grazing, pesticides, pollution, etc… Maybe it’s over population we should fear. Human beings fear change and have a very self-centered and time-centric view of what’s best for our planet. Besides, we’ll all be Kudzu food in another 100 years. :)
The Katy Prairie Conservancy is doing an amazing job of protecting what’s left of our tall-grass prairie habitat. Kudos to them! Go visit if this topic interests you.
Glad we’ve reached consensus on which species of tree we hate – never was able to find out if the tree that started this conversation was actually a Chinese Tallow – all references called it a Chinaberry.
And Houston hasn’t even seen the advent of Brazilian Peppers. They make Tallows look like Pecans.
If those trees don’t have proper papers and govt. permission to be here, they gotta go.
“I’m starting to get these hateful declarations confused with Arizona’s immigration law.”
Good grief.
It sounds like these tallow trees are an indestructible force of nature. We should plant them everywhere then we wouldn’t have to worry about pollution or development encroaching on nature since they can’t be stopped. And all this time I thought that mother nature was a pushover who was always being beaten down by man.
For everyone that dismisses the issues with Chinese Tallow – have a talk with the folks in GA and surrounding states about the issues with Kudzoo…..just sayin
And don’t forget that the wood used for that barbeque so many folks love comes from one of the most indestructible trees ever……mesquite.
You don’t even have to go to south Texas to see how many pastures have been rendered useless. Just drive some of the small county roads south of I-10.
Maybe there should be a face off between the Tallow and Mesquite…..which would win?
I posted this in an earlier thread, but I’ve got to show a little love for one Chinese Tallow tree in particular. My parents had one right outside our back door. It was the perfect tree for a kid. Easy to climb, with big forking branches. Pretty colored fall foliage, and best of all, “berries” that made perfect slingshot ammo. I loved that tree dearly and was very sad when my parents cut it down to build a carport.
As biomass is concerned there are tremendously more productive, less harmful “Crops” that can be planted…switchgrass being a well researched biomass crop. More per acre, lower harvest cost, easier transport, uses existing technology….
The tallow is currently worthless…the only promise I have ever seen from the tree was an article years back by LSU ag about the potential for biodiesel from its seeds due to the high oil content. Currently there is no way to efficiently harvest them…until there is – this tree is far more harmful than anything else.
It destroys everything, overtakes pastures, prairies, wetlands, etc…and walking under one in the fall barefoot is downright painful.