I can see tree of heaven (ToH) Ailanthus altissima
| Easily-confused! |
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| If your specimen is/has: | with leaflet margin (edge): | with (seasonally) flower cluster: | | then you have: |
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shrub, 2-3(-5) × the height of an adult human;
stem and twigs=hairy |
▲▲ toothed with large teeth visible from 3 steps back;
leaf injury exudes milky juice | size of very-large ice cream cone, inverted above branch,
yellow-green (flower) or deep-red (fruit) |
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lookalike
staghorn sumac Rhus typhina
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tree;
bark=deeply furrowed tan;
some months nuts on or under tree, which do not separate into sections |
▲▲ toothed with long teeth visible within arm's length;
leaf=very large (>20 cm) (>8 in), leaflets=large (4-20 cm) (1½-8 in)
| size of little-finger,
green catkin
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lookalike
butternut
Juglans cinerea
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tree;
bark=smooth, tan or light gray-green with optional shallow tan furrows, lots of lenticels |
___ smooth, except base has (0-) 1 or 2 (-4) bumps | large, above branch,
yellow-to-orange |
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this plant, please
continue below …
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In dormant season, has huge leaf scars (as big as my fingertips!), thickly C-shaped, with interior filled by large bud. No branches narrower than my thumb—looks like it forgot to build the last few levels of branches! Of course, all that is due to very-big 🌿︎ compound leaves that will eventually arrive.
Verify with Google images.
Also called ailanthus, and chouchun ("stinky tree" in 🇨🇳 Standard Chinese).
Part of
family Simaroubaceae.
Native to northeast and central 🇨🇳 China, including 🇹🇼 Taiwan.
Invasive > learn+quiz
Invasive > Global
Invasive > in USA+Canada
Invasive > report it!
Invasive > in USA
Invasive > in USFS (.pdf)
Invasive > in Michigan
Tree of heaven poses ⚕︎ human health risks:
- The pollen is a human allergen.
- The sap causes dermatitis in some people.
- Prolonged exposure of sap to skin abrasions of a tree remover resulted in elevated heart rate and chest pain, causing hospitalization for several days.
[USFS source 29]
This plant's roots and leaves release
allelopathic chemicals,
which reduce native plants' seed germination, seedling height, and leaf production.
Native alternatives (Missouri Botanical Garden)
Control and Alternatives (Maryland) (.pdf page 2).
This plant is the preferred host for (in many areas, invasive)
🐝︎ spotted lanternfly (SLF) Lycorma delicatula.
One source suggests that you if have invasive trees of heaven, you remove any invasive species that might host SLF, but leave one sentinel tree of heaven that you will periodically check for this insect. After SLF is detected, use lethal trap trees: Kill female ToH, while you treat male trees with dinotefuran—using basal bark method—to kill SLF sucking its sap.