What is a Bee Bee Tree?
The bee bee tree, also known as Korean evodia (Evodia daniellii syn. Tetradium daniellii), is not a well-known ornamental, but it should be. The tree is small, generally not much taller than 25 feet (7.5 m.), and its dark green leaves provide light shade beneath. The bark is smooth, like beech tree bark. The species is dioecious, so there are male trees and female trees. In late spring or early summer, female bee bee trees grow a gorgeous display of fragrant, flat-topped flower clusters that last a long time. Bees love the flowers and beekeepers love the bee bee tree plant’s long blooming season. On the female bee bee tree plants, the flowers ultimately give way to fruits in the form of capsules. Inside are purple, fleshy seeds.
Bee Bee Tree Care
If you are planning on growing bee bee trees, you’ll be glad to know that bee bee tree care is not difficult if you select an appropriate location. The tree thrives in moist, fertile soil that drains well and does best in full sun. Like most trees, bee bee tree plants require regular irrigation for the first year after planting. This is an especially important aspect of bee bee tree care when the weather is dry. After establishment, the mature trees can tolerate some seasonal dryness. You’ll find that bee bee trees do not suffer from many diseases, nor are they attacked by insect pests. In fact, even deer tend to not browse on bee bee tree plants.
Is Bee Bee Tree Invasive?
The bee bee tree fruit produces many seeds. These seeds can propagate the species far and wide when spread by hungry birds, even naturalizing in the wild. Scientists do not know very much about this tree’s impact on the environment. Given its invasive possibilities in some circumstances, it is called a “watch list species.”
