Tallowtree, Popcorntree

Plant: Deciduous tree, to 60 ft (18 m) or more tall and to 3 ft (92 cm) in diameter, with heart-shaped leaves having wide-angled bases that turn yellow to red in fall, dangling yellowish racemes in spring yield small clusters of tri-lobed fruit in summer that split to reveal white, popcorn-like, inner fruit in fall and early winter. Spreads by seeds and colonizes by rootsprouts.

Stem: Twigs bear flower and fruit clusters at terminals, whorled branching from lateral buds below fruit clusters, twigs lime-green becoming gray and later with scattered brownish dots (lenticels) and later with striations, leaf scars numerous and half-circles becoming raised, bark light-gray and fissured.

Leaves: Alternately whorled, shape distinctive being heart-shaped with a wide-angled base and tip can be short or long attenuate, blade 2-3 in (5-10 cm) long and 1.5-2.5 in (4-6 cm) wide, dark green with light-green mid- and lateral veins, becoming yellow to red in fall, hairless, petioles 1-3 in (2.5-8 cm) long, lime-green, tiny glands (requires hand lens) on upper side of juncture between blade and petiole.

Flowers: Apr-Jun. Slender spikes of tiny flowers, yellowish green, female flowers at base and male flowers along the spike, sepals but no petals.

Fruit and seeds: Aug-Dec. Capsules 3-lobed (or few