Triadica

( try - ah - DEE - kuh )

At-A-Glance Information

Commonly called Chinese Tallow Tree, this genus of deciduous trees needs full sun and moderate to regular water. Take care when planting this species in your garden, as the sap is toxic if ingested. These trees are native to Japan and China, and reach 30-40 feet tall and 25-30 feet wide, with a rounded or conical shape. These trees can be shrubby or single-trunked trees (if pruned correctly). Foliage is dense, appearing in late spring, and flutters beautifully in the breeze. Leaves are light green, turning red, purple, yellow and orange in fall. Flowers appear in spikes, and are followed by small greyish-white fruits. These trees are great as lawn, street, patio, or terrace trees and give moderate shade and screening. The genus Triadica is a member of the plant family Euphorbiaceae and includes two species, one of which is commonly grown as a landscape ornamental (Triadica sebifera). Chinese Tallow Tree does best in zones 8, 9, 12-16, 18-21 and H1. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Caring for and pruning triadica Trees

Expect a moderate amount of maintenance growing these trees. They prefer to be planted in full sun, where they can receive between 6 and 8 hours of direct sunlight each day. This will result in the fastest and most lush growth. These trees are not picky about soil texture, but they do need substrate to be well-draining. They can grow in clay, loam, or sandy soil and prefer an acidic to neutral soil pH of between 3.9 and 7.0. Apply a thick layer of mulch around the base of trees to suppress weed growth, increase soil moisture retention, and help to regulate soil temperatures. Water newly planted trees regularly, ensuring that good drainage is occurring. Mature trees also appreciate moist soil, and should be deep watered weekly for best performance and growth. 

Apply a generous layer of organic compost around the base of trees each springtime to support their new growth for the season. If trees seem to be struggling or are not growing well, they may also benefit from a feeding with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in springtime. Avoid over-fertilizing trees, as this can make the tree more susceptible to pest and disease issues. Prune in late fall or winter when the tree is dormant, removing dead, damaged, diseased, or crossing branches and opening up the canopy to improve airflow and light penetration.

Propagation

​Triadica trees can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your Chinese Tallow Tree, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Triadica by Cutting
  1. Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
  2. In fall or early wintertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch hardwood portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
  3. Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
  4. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.

Propagating Triadica by Seed
  1. Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
  2. Harvest your seeds in fall. The seeds are easy to spot, and are present on branches after leaves have dropped off the tree in autumn. They are white, and are typically borne in groups of three. Once their dark brown to blackish capsules begin to come away from the seeds, they are mature enough to be planted. Harvest as many as possible, place them in your paper bag, and bring them indoors to work with them.
  3. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 7-14 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
  4. Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.
Triadica seed pods contain three seeds each. The pod coverings will fall away, leaving just the white seeds in late fall and wintertime.
Triadica seeds.

Problems and Pests

These trees are generally resistant to most pest and disease issues. Luckily, they are resistant to Oak Root Fungus, but can become a bit of a pest themselves near waterways, where they reseeds freely and tend to spread. From time to time, they can suffer from the following:
  • Bagworms​
  • Rootknot Nematode
  • Fungal Issues
  • Leaf-Footed Bugs
For more information on these pest and disease problems, consult the following pages:
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Gallery

Triadica seed pods.
These trees are valued for their beautiful foliage.
Triadica flowers bloom in catkins. Female flowers are towards the base while male flowers that produce pollen are borne along the length.
As cooler temperatures settle in for autumn, leaves begin to change color.
In fall, trees will turn various shades of red, orange, pinkish, and purple.
In wintertime, branches are dotted with white seeds.

Videos

Learn about these wonderful landscape trees.
Learn about the invasive nature of these trees.

Resources

How to Grow a Chinese Tallow Tree
Wikipedia: Triadica 
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 636, Triadica sebifera
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