Chinese tallow also known as the popcorn tree from its white fruit can form dense thickets in bottomlands and along the edges of wetlands. It was introduced into this area by Benjamin Franklin who thought the waxy fruits would be a good substitute for candle tallow during the Revolutionary War blockade. Because the toxic leaves support very few insects, birds living in these thickets have few insects to feed their young.
This ornamental tree spreads into wetlands, crowding out the native trees and shrubs. Its fruits are spread by birds far from where it is planted.
Many trees were found in wetlands northwest of Hazlehurst where it is commonly planted.
