Ombu Tree

As stated by Palmbob, this plant is toxic because the sap is. And it's a very invasive weed... yes folks, it's not a tree, it's an arbore...Read Morescent weed, hence the viciousness... as a weed, it's not made of "wood", it's a useless tree (aside from shadow, which is quite important for cattle and houses, and is the only reason it is intentionally grown). The "wood" is spongy and soft, and you will be surprised to find no growth rings if you chop the plant down (again, it's not a tree, it's a herb). In fact, when cut to the ground, it will grow again and again right away... in fact, it will actually grow faster and stronger.

I'm from Argentina, where Ombus are native. They grow isolated in the pampas and are also called bellasombras (beautiful shadow).

By the way, the common method for getting rid of them down here is to chop them down, drill some deep holes in it, fill them with kerosene during a few days so the ombu flesh will soak in the kerosene and then burn it...

But they make excellent bonsai plants!!

This tree can be scary. I got a softwood cutting from a friend of mine- just stuck in moist potting soil, and had a miniature tree a few...Read More weeks later. The leaves on it are gorgeous- deep green with bright red-pink veination. Before I plant it, he warned me, put it where you don't think it will hurt anything. Oops. He was right. This tree is the fastest growing thing in the yard- even faster than Eucalyptus or Palowania. Amazing. And destructive. IT makes roots that crawl right under the surface about 2' thick and up to 50' long. Beware concrete, because this will lift you right up! But wow, what a tree! It does get a bit toasted by frosty winds in the winter, but grows back instantly. And the leaves are so huge and green they add a great tropical look to the garden. And the shade it produces... in time I expect it might shade 1/2 the 1/2 acre garden. Maybe better cut it down now?

Well, turns out it's pretty hard to get rid of, too... grows back if you leave any root in the ground. Cut it to a stump and it will happily grow back... you need to pour concentrated Round up in drilled holes into the Xylum layers to kill this thing.

It is closely related to the common Pokeweed of the east US (don't have those out here in California) and is similarly toxic. Native to Argentina supposedly this tree was planted around homesteads since it could be seen from miles away, way above all the surrounding vegetation. And because it was toxic, cattle, deer or rabbits wouldn't touch it.