Tree of Heaven
Ailanthus altissima
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*This map shows the current US range, not the native range.
Tree of heaven is native to China. It's considered invasive in most US states. It's very tolerant of poor soil conditions. It needs partial to full sun.
Fruit: A 10-15 mm wide, yellow drupe arranged in persistent, drooping clusters. They ripen from September to October.
Flowers: A yellow-green flower arranged in 4-7" clusters. They appear from May to June and may have a foul odor.
Uses: The leaves can be eaten when cooked but aren't pleasant. A yellow dye can be made from the leaves. It has a complex root system and is allelopathic, making it helpful in soil stabilization and the removal of mosquito breeding sites.
Ethnobotany: Parts of the tree, especially the bark, have a wide variety of medicinal uses in traditional herbal medicine.
Importance to wildlife: The tree can outcompete nearby plants.
The full tree of heaven.
The bark of a tree of heaven. Bark is thin, medium gray to grayish brown, and shallowly furrowed or scored vertically with wavy, light-colored stripes.
A single leaf on a tree of heaven. Leaves have 15-27 leaflets.
A single leaf on a tree of heaven. Leaflets are 7-15 cm long, aromatic when crushed, and entire except for a few gland-tipped teeth near the base.
The leaf arrangement on a tree of heaven. Leaves are compound and alternate.
The leaf scar of a tree of heaven. Leaf scars are large, heart or shield shaped, lighter than the twig, and raised along the margin. The many bundle scars are arrange in a single V-shaped row near the margin.
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