The state of Florida calls the Chinese Tallow tree a “noxious weed” because of its rampant spreading and adaptability to any soil condition, and because of that it is forbidden to sell, plant or transfer this tree within the state.
Local Eagle Scout Nicholas Storm is looking to do something to help, as he has done other conservation work including building a native plants prayer garden at Lord of Life Lutheran Church on Roscoe Boulevard.
He recently identified Chinese Tallow trees on the church’s property with his conservation mentor Ginger Feagle, who is the north central regional coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
After researching, it turned out there were 203 Chinese Tallow trees and saplings on the property, Storm organized a weekend work event with his local Boy Scout Troop 277, which also fittingly fell around Earth Day.
The workday consisted of marking and cutting down trees or using an ax to put hatch marks into the trees, followed by applying a herbicide, using state guidelines, that will eventually kill them.
“I found out that it was Ben Franklin who brought this tree to the United States, and while they look pretty, it’s now recognized that they spread really quickly and will overtake native Florida vegetation,” Storm said. “Its leaves, when they drop can even change the chemistry of the soil.”
Other states that have followed Florida’s lead by forbidding the trees include Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
According to Storm, it is a good time of year to identify the trees since new growth starts around February and Chinese Tallow trees will typically bloom until May.
The tree has a heart-shaped leaf that is rose colored when new, light grey rough bark, and will have a white flower with no petals, that resembles popcorn.
According to the Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Chinese Tallows originate from Southeast Asia and were first recorded to have been introduced to the United States in the early 1900s.
“We are grateful for Nicholas’s genuine interest in helping our church and being such a good steward of our local Ponte Vedra Beach environment,” said Sheila Kolesaire, council president of Lord of Life Lutheran Church. “We had no knowledge what these trees were on our property, but we will now be on the lookout for new seedlings.”
