By Mary Townsley
The Tree of Heaven, Ailanthus altissima, introduced into the US in the late 1700's as an ornamental, is a rapidly growing tree that sports dense clusters of yellow flowers that develop into winged seed pods. Now to the bad stuff....the Tree of Heaven produces several hundred thousand seed pods each year which are dispersed by wind and water. The seeds can take hold in some quite inhospitable locations. Further, the tree produces chemicals that suppress growth of surrounding plants and can aggressively resprout from roots and from cut stumps. The result is the creation of dense Tree of Heaven thickets that crowd out other plant species. To add insult to injury, so to speak, The Tree of Heaven is the preferred host for the spotted lanternfly (https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-pests-diseases/slf). This invasive planthopper feeds voraciously on a variety of plant species, making it a serious threat to both fruit and forest industries. Do not plant Tree of Heaven!
