Ailanthus altissima

Tree Of Heaven Thomas Hairston, Laura Drake, Will Young, Joanna Sanford, Skyler de Regt, Boyd Anderson PSS 3133 Introduction Ailanthus altissma or more commonly known as the Tree of Heaven was introduced to the United States as an ornamental. The Tree of Heaven originated in Northeastern and Central China and Taiwan. It was introduced to the U.S. in 1748 by a Pennsylvania gardener. The Tree of Heaven is a deciduous tree that can reach 80 ft. and 6 ft. in diameter. It has smooth pale gray bark with pinnately compound leaves that range from 1-4 ft. in length. Tree of Heaven can reproduce by seeds or re-sprouting. It is very tolerant of poor conditions from poor soils to drought tolerance making it adaptable to just about everywhere. Tree…

Tree of Heaven is a sumac plant that is native to China, but it moved into Indiana and is now an invasive species. It’s scientific name is Ailanthus altissima. The tree of heaven came to the United States in the late 1700’s. The reason that it’s an invasive species is because it crowds out native species and damages pavement and building foundations. Tree of heaven is a native of China and in 1751 was mistakenly introduced into France and England by a missionary who though it was a Japanese…