Mystery Flowering Tree

[big bend gyrene]

Daily run takes me by a thickly wooded area with many small trees growing that have the flower shown below...


Like the flower, but the trees look to be about as invasive as kudzu can be, with the ground covered in them in the one spot I see them. Also pretty sure there is a stand of these trees growing about halfway between the Mahan 1-10 East exit and the Highway 59/Lloyd exit.

Most of the trees I've seen appear to be between 8 to 12' in height and appear to have a habit of branches sub-branching into three more branches, with leaf and flower clusters at the very end of the branches. The leaves when small are heart shaped but as they get larger they have somewhat more of a cat's head shape.

Guessing more than one or two of you on the board will recognize the flower, and won't be surprised if any of you that have land don't like the tree because of the evident rampant reseeding. Not planning on planting any myself, just curious to know the name - scientific and/or common names will be appreciated.

[Jumptrout51]

Tung Oil trees.
Getting mighty rare.

[sundown]

Yep...I think it is tung oil...don't see em like used to.

[Jumptrout51]

2000 members on BBF.n. Probably only 50 or so know what a tung oil tree is and what its' purpose was.

[RodBow]

That was what made Capps a place on the map wasn't it?
http://www.co.jefferson.fl.us/history/#tung

[Jumptrout51]

Yes Rodbow. That was Sherwin Williams showplace plantation for tung oil.
That is back when paint was paint.

[sundown]

Back in mid to early 50's there was some one planted a big field of them up in north end of Lee County near us. Purpose supposedly was to make paint..Don't know how many they harvested but they finally cut the trees down.

[Chalk]

Used to be some on the way to Econfina near Wacissa...back in the day

[Jumptrout51]

...back in the day

Just don't sound right when said by a 30 something.

[sundown]

They had a smell early in the morning too..

[TallyFish]

Eppes used to carry one gallon cans of pure tung oil back in the early 70s from the plant out east. Great stuff for finishing furniture.

BBG yes, that is a Tung Nut tree blossom.

I believe the state of Florida has declared the Tung nut tree an invasive species.

[qoutrage]

Thay's a house across from the fire station in Carrabelle, that's got one in the front yard. My oldest grandson (6) ask me last summer what kind of tree it was account of what, he thought was fruit, on it. I recognized it from when I was a kid, and it made me wonder whatever happened to all the tung oil trees that were around N FL, as sundown said, back in the 50's.
Interesting, that it isn't a marketable crop any more.

[big bend gyrene]

WOW! Many thanks to all for the VERY interesting answer! I've turned a dozen or so bowls and done some woodcarving too, so I'm aware what tung oil is but had absolutely NO idea I was looking at tung oil trees!

And again for anyone who might be interested in educating their young ones and/or grand young-uns, pretty sure there is a stand of them still growing wild close within a mile or two of where Chaires Cross Rd goes over highway 10... don't know if they are still flowering but they were this past week and really were quite showy.

Seriously, thanks again to all, as the answer was much more interesting than I expected
BBG

[MudDucker]

Used to have one in my backyard growing up. Man those suckers made for some good ammunition.

[sundown]

I've used tung oil and lin seed oil mixed 50-50 for finishing wood. You have to add a chemical called Japan hardner or it never will dry. makes a beautiful finish.