PlantFiles: Tung-Oil Tree, China Wood Oil Plant, Tung Nut
Vernicia fordii

I will be getting a Tung Oil Tree in trade. Does anyone know how it will do in Zone 6B (Central NJ). If it's pushing it to plant outside here, how about in a pot in a conservatory?

We are just back from Charleston, and YES, there is ONE and only one, of these trees there. Not one person could I find that could recognize the gorgeous little blosson I carried all over town trying to get it identified. After circling the block MANY times hoping to spot the owner, he was finally outside and said it had been there 50 yrs, and he'd never seen another in one. The tree was absolutely loaded with it's gorgeous teeny blosooms (like a wee miniature TINY hybiscus); the striations down the center are coral-colored, and they LITTERED the drive-way beneath the tree beside the tree being just covered. Gorgeous, is all I can say. Too bad it is poisonous, but you wouldn't be likely to put any part in your mouth. Gorgeous in bloom and fairly tall. (he called it 'tongue oil' tree)

These grow very well here and grow quite large. I have two smaller trees on my property that are about 15 feet tall. There is one that grows in the woods near our house that is at least 30 feet. They are not evergreen here. The leaves turn yellow in the fall and drop. They are great for using in the yard since they are so large. The flowers are beautiful in the spring. These have survived snow once in the last 5 years and freezing temps several times each winter.

Tung-oil trees do border on invasive for us. I pull at least 30 a year, but they are easy enough to spot because of the large leaves. The roots do not run deep so they are easy to pull up.

The growing habit of the smaller trees are interesting because there is just one long straight trunk with a burst of limbs out the top of it. I harvest the 6 foot ones for use in my vegetable garden each year.

I saw this tree growing in the yard of one of Charleston, SC historic homes, Zone 8. It was bearing seed at the time.

There are a "grove" of extremely large tung trees near my grandparents house--I was in awe as a child. They are mistakenly referred to as catawba or catalpa trees, the main difference being the fruit is not a bean pod on the tung tree. I know for a fact they weather the winters in zone 7.

this plant requires a minimum temperature of 45F