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 …show more content…
(2011), the Tree of Heaven, Ailanthus altissma, is invasive on almost every continent because of the introduction from Southeast Asia and then on to Europe in the year 1751. Though the Tree of Heaven is very invasive in the United States. It is also very invasive in other countries as well. For example, a “study in Germany has shown that tree of heaven growing in 92% of cases in densely populated areas of Berlin, 25% in the suburbs, and only 3% outside the city in general” (p. 112). Because of the ability to survive given any conditions, the Tree of heaven is very invasive and can be involved in much damage to the environment. These researchers also described the Tree of heaven as a “. . . highly aggressive, invasive, and adaptable species that grows in different soil types, and just do not tolerate excess water and deep shade” (p. 111). Due to the tolerance it can withhold, the tree of heaven can have a major effect on other plant species. Petrović discusses how it is not the Tree of heaven, but rather should be named the “’tree of hell’ because of its invasiveness, spread, and difficulty in its eradication” (p. 114). The Tree of heaven is a highly invasive tree that has spread to most parts of the Unites States. There are several factors that have contributed to this highly unwanted characteristic of being