On April 21, you published an article, “Above And BEEyond.” It had some good information. However, there was a glaring statement which goes against everything that experts in forestry, agriculture or restoration of natural habit teach. “Chinese tallow trees work well for bees” is not a suggestion that any homeowner or landowner should be given.
According to experts across the Southeast, including the LSU Department of Agriculture, Chinese tallow trees are highly invasive and once established are hard to get rid of.
I have seen this in my neighborhood and in areas all across our state and the Southeast. Chinese tallow trees outcompete the native species in our yards and forests. The seeds easily grow quickly into full-size trees, and even if you cut down the trees, they grow back from the stump. My neighbor has a Chinese tallow tree behind my house. I have removed at least 20 seedlings from my yard, including from flower beds and under trees. In the U.S., only a few insects feed on Chinese tallow, whereas in China, hundreds of insects benefit. If you aren’t interested in plants and hate insects, I suggest you recall what we all learned in school about the food chain. We need plants and insects if we want to eat, including beef, chicken and pork, which are fed grains and plants.
Please do not plant Chinese tallow trees, and if you already have one, at least control the spread in your own yard.
ANDREA SIDES
Baton Rouge