Upper SC. Growing all over my fence line. They look kind of similar to a fern but with the trunk of a tree. They turn purple at the top. House was built in the 1920s.
by kellyfirefly4
Upper SC. Growing all over my fence line. They look kind of similar to a fern but with the trunk of a tree. They turn purple at the top. House was built in the 1920s.
by kellyfirefly4
14 Comments
Tree of heaven, *Ailanthus altissima*. Nasty invasive in the US and host of the equally invasive spotted lanternfly.
Tree of Heaven. Highly invasive and very difficult to remove.
TOH spreads aggressively, which is why you have them everywhere. Search the “hack and squirt” method for removal. Simply cutting the tree down doesn’t kill it. It just makes it angry and it sends up an army of root sprouts to fight back. It’s also a magnet for the spotted lantern fly, so you get a bonus second invasion, sorry.
Tree of heaven can be identified by its compound leaves with leaflets that have smooth edges and a pair or two of thumbs at the leaflet bases. It also has a distinct odor when damaged that I’ve seen compared to rancid peanut butter or bad barbecue.
It’s extremely invasive in the eastern US (and Europe) and should be dealt with before it gets larger (it gets up to 50-80 feet tall). Wait until it starts going dormant in late August or early September, slice open the thin young bark with a knife, and then brush on a thin layer of glyphosate herbicide onto the fresh wound. By doing it when the plant is going dormant, the herbicide is pulled into the roots and kills them. Do not cut it down until you know the stem is actually dead, as doing it before it is completely dead will spur new shoots to sprout. You also need to treat each stem individually. Tree of heaven often sends up new shoots from its roots, so look around for any mature trees that might be nearby. Older trees with mature thick bark will need a hack and squirt treatment, which involves cutting a notch into the trunk at the same time of year and pouring on a small amount of herbicide to be pulled into the vascular tissues.
You can also post to r/invasivespecies for more advice.
May god have mercy on your soul.
Geeze it’s that time of year again where every other post is a tree of heaven, huh?
https://extension.psu.edu/tree-of-heaven-control-strategies
So I have recently found that the 30% vinegar carried at hardware stores makes a great TOH poison, at least for the little pop ups. Just apply very liberally around the base.
But the stalks or trunks are as straight as can be! When I see a tall one along the road. 5’+ I cut it down. Remove the leaves and throw it in the car. They make great straight walking sticks!
Do Not Cut down!!!! – or it will spread. Please research proper removal or you will make it worst.
I have had these at my homes near Redding, CA. Pull them before they get big. They’ll never be gone, will tear up foundations and plumbing. I HATE these!
KILL IT! Code red! Kill it now!
Invasive tree of heaven in front of invasive multiflora rose.
Uh oh! Tree of heaven