Native Plants
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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
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Sunday - December 07, 2008
From: Rosharon, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Invasive Plants
Title: Legality of using Chinese tallow seeds for Christmas decorations
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
If tallow trees are on the noxious list, is it illegal to use the white berries for Christmas decorations?ANSWER:
Triadeca sebifera, Chinese tallow, is a native to Eastern Asia, and has become an invasive threat to ecologies, particularly in the Southeast and coastal plains. It is not only invasive, crowding out desirable native plants, but is potentially harmful to humans and animals because the berries and plant sap contain toxins. There is no law of which we are aware that prohibits use of the berries as Christmas decorations. However, we would not choose to employ plant materials known to be poisonous in that way. The possibility of the berries being accessible to children or pets would far outweigh the benefits.More Invasive Plants Questions
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April 22, 2014 - My carrot wood tree is losing all of its leaves. The tree is about 15foot high & 13 years old. Could it be gophers? The tree was trimmed 1 year ago.
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How to eliminate Sawgrass from a small lake in Lindale, TX?
February 23, 2015 - We live on a small acre lake (about 65 acres) and the majority of the lake is surrounded by what the locals are calling saw grass. From the description on the website, I believe they are correct. The...
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