Named after a British army surgeon William Freeman Daniell, the bee-bee tree is a flowering tree with a rounded umbrella-shaped form. The common name comes from the seed pods that are produced after flowering, containing small, rounded, pellet-like seeds, resembling the familiar bee-bee. Plant it in the full sun in moist, fertile, well-drained soils. It will tolerate a little shade. It works well as a woodland or lawn tree. However, when not controlled or monitored, it can become somewhat invasive. From one individual planted tree, a dense infestation can occur. In some locations, it has escaped cultivation, forming a dense understory under canopy trees. Some classify this tree as weedy. A bonus for pollinators, it blooms in late summer when there is not much else blooming. It will begin blooming when the tree reaches a height of 6-8' tall. Oils from the fruits are sometimes used for cooking. The leaves may display some color in the fall, but the tree often loses its leaves while they are still green. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
24-60 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 25 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in. | Width: 25 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Rounded; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Oblong; Ovate
Leaf margin
Crenate; Entire
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf value
Fragrant
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The compound leaves can reach a length of up to 18" long and each have from 7 to 11 leaflets that range from 2-5" long. The upper side of the leaves is dark green, while the underside is a lighter green. The underside is also pubescent, having hairs.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Pink; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Corymb
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
White flowers with hints of pink or yellow grow on 4-6" long, flattened corymbs.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Once the flowers have completed their blooming, seed pods form that will split open when they ripen. The pods will produce small, rounded black seeds, 2 per pod.
Bark color
Light Gray
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Olive green stems become gray/brown in the second year. They are also lenticel and are covered with a velvet hair.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Tibet, China
Wildlife value
The fruits attract birds. Honey bees are especially attracted to the flowers. Also attracts butterflies.