Tree of Heaven (Invasive Exotic Plants of North Carolina)

Tree of Heaven

Ailanthus altissima

Summary ⁶

Ailanthus altissima /eɪˈlænθəs ælˈtɪsɨmə/, commonly known as tree of heaven, ailanthus, or in Standard Chinese as chouchun (Chinese: 臭椿; pinyin: chòuchūn; literally "foul smelling tree"), is a deciduous tree in the Simaroubaceae family. It is native to both northeast and central China and Taiwan. Unlike other members of the genus Ailanthus, it is found in temperate climates rather than the tropics. The tree grows rapidly and is capable of reaching heights of 15 metres (49 ft) in...

Ecological threat in the united states ⁷

A common tree in urban areas where it causes damage to sewers and structures, ailanthus poses a greater threat to agriculture and natural ecosystems. It is a vigorous growing tree and prolific seeder that establishes dense stands that push out natives. Tree of heaven contains chemicals, including ailanthone, that have been found to have strong allelopathic (herbicidal) affects on the growth of other plants which help it establish and spread.

Habitat characteristics ⁸

More info for the terms: alliance, cover, density, frequency, importance value, presence, reclamation, relative density, tree

Tree-of-heaven occurs on a variety of sites in North America, ranging from very poor to very productive. In Ithaca, New York, it was positively correlated with urban sites where rooting space was limited and other species could not establish (P=0.05) [230,248]. In contrast, soils in the Central Valley of California, where tree-of-heaven is also common, are nutrient-rich and productive [128]. Little information is available on tree-of-heaven's original habitats in China; it is common there as a cultivated tree [139,140,249].

Tree-of-heaven has been characterized as "the most adaptable and pollution tolerant tree available" for urban plantings [74]. Highly tolerant of industrial gases, dust, and smoke, it is common on disturbed urban sites, especially alleyways, roadsides, and fence rows [71,105,114,214,324]. It is generally more common in urban, suburban, and rural than wild environments [57,181]. In wildlands, tree-of-heaven occurs on floodplains and other disturbed sites, riparian areas, open woodlands and forests, and rock outcrops [41,114,137,164,280,312]. After Hurricane Camille, tree-of-heaven was positively associated with debris avalanche chutes in Virginia [145]. It was most frequent on roadsides in an oak-hickory forest in West Virginia [141]: Tree-of-heaven frequency on different sites within a West Virginian oak-hickory forest [141] Habitat Frequency (%) roadsides 26 streams 19 mature forest 13 open forest 7 railroad rights-of-way 6 residential 6 trails 3 old fields 0 other 20

Tree-of-heaven has invaded rare sugar maple-sweet birch (Betula lenta) rock outcrop communities in High Mountain Park Preserve, New Jersey [76]. In the Southwest, it invades canyons, arroyos, and riparian zones, including the banks of the Rio Grande [6,203].

Soils and topography: Tree-of-heaven tolerates a wide range of soil moisture conditions [82,211]. In oak-hickory woodland of Sussex County, New Jersey, it grows in permanently swampy, ridgebottom soils of an abandoned Boy Scout camp [18]. At the other extreme, tree-of-heaven tolerates dry, rocky soils and extended drought, aided by its large, water-storing roots. Even seedlings show drought tolerance, often volunteering in pavement cracks and other dry sites [113,293]. In Kansas, mature trees-of-heaven and eastern redcedars showed better survivorship during the "Dust Bowl" drought of 1934 than associated tree species [278].

Tree-of-heaven also tolerates a wide range of soil nutrient levels and other soil conditions. Best growth occurs on nutrient-rich, loamy soils, but tree-of-heaven establishes in nutrient-poor soils [93,163,211,328]. Tree-of-heaven tolerates all soil textures [216]. It often establishes on disturbed sites lacking topsoil [164]. In the Appalachians and the Northeast, the tree-of-heaven alliance occurs on limestone clifftops and on calcareous soils [223,237]. On reclamation sites, trees-of-heaven tolerated acid mine spoils better than calcareous spoils and grew on low-phosphorus soils [211]. Tree-of-heaven can grow on soils as low as 4.1 pH, in soluble salt concentrations of 0.25 mmhos/cm, and in soils with phosphorus levels as low as 1.8 ppm [245]. In a mixed-deciduous forest on Staten Island, New York, tree-of-heaven had the highest importance value and relative density of all tree species on neutral soils but was absent on acidic soils (pH ≤5.1) [186]. It tolerates compacted soils [230].

Topography on tree-of-heaven sites may be flat, rolling, or very steep, with tree-of-heaven potentially occurring on all aspects. Tree-of-heaven's spreading root system permits establishment and growth on steep inclines and cliff faces [7]. In Massachusetts, tree-of-heaven is reported on upland, interior wetland, and coastal areas [200]. On the floodplain of the Raitan River, New Jersey, tree-of-heaven was not important on low floodplains (<11 feet (3.3 m) above sea level), but it ranked in the top one-third of species' importance values on upper floodplains [101]. In a slippery elm-white ash woodlot in Ohio, tree-of-heaven presence on forest-roadside edges was similar on north- and south-facing exposures [85]. In Inwood Hill Park, a mixed-hardwood wildland site in Manhattan, tree-of-heaven was most common on west-facing ridges [98]: Density of tree-of-heaven seedlings and saplings in a wildland park in New York City [98] Seedlings (<2 cm DBH) Saplings (2-10 cm DBH) Valley forest 55 9 East ridge 113 38 Ridgetops 0 50 West ridge 363 211

Climate: Tree-of-heaven is most common in temperate climates, in both North America and its native China. It tolerates minimum temperatures of -38 °F (-39 °C) and maximum temperatures of 110 °F (45 °C). Mean annual precipitation ranges from 0.55 to 158 inches (14-4,010 mm) across tree-of-heaven's North American and Chinese distributions. Tree-of-heaven tolerates drought of several month's duration [3].

Climate within tree-of-heaven's North American distribution ranges from subtropical and wet in Florida; arid in the Great Plains and western United States; to cold and wet in the Northeast. It occurs in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 8 [144]. Annual mean maximum and minimum temperatures within its North American range are 15o F and 97 oF (-9 oC and 36 oC). It tolerates as much as 90 inches (2,290 mm) of mean annual precipitation in the Appalachian Mountains as little as 14 inches (360 mm) of annual precipitation and 8 months of drought in the western United States. Large, water-storing roots confer drought tolerance [140], although tree-of-heaven may not reach maximum growth on dry sites. On an "extremely dry" site on the George Washington National Forest, Pomp [247] observed that trees-of-heaven in an oak-pine forest only reached the canopy in riparian areas and on logged sites. Because seedlings are not cold resistant, extreme cold and prolonged snow cover restrict its occurrence to lower slopes in mountainous regions. Tree-of-heaven may be able to colonize in cold regions that experience several successive years of mild climate [211]. It is the only species in its genus that tolerates cold climates [140].

Elevation: Tree-of-heaven is reported from the following elevations in the western United States: Elevational range of tree-of-heaven in 3 western states State Elevation California <6,600 feet [135,149] New Mexico 4,500-7,000 feet [199] Utah 790-5,900 feet [317]

It grows from 4,900 to 5,900 feet (1,500-1,800 m) elevation in China [304].

Prevention and control ⁹

Do not plant tree of heaven or spread its seeds when moving soil from infested areas. Before attempting control, ensure that you are not mistaking a native species like staghorn sumac, ash or walnut for tree of heaven. Elimination of tree of heaven requires diligence. Targeting large female trees for control will help reduce spread by seed. Because vegetative spread by male and female trees will continue to be a threat, elimination of all trees must be the long term goal. Systemic herbicides with active ingredients like glyphosate and triclopyr are most effective and can be applied to bark, cut stems or foliage.

History in the united states ¹⁰

Tree-of-heaven was first introduced to America by a gardener in Philadelphia, PA, in 1784, and by 1840 was commonly available from nurseries. The species was also brought into California mainly by the Chinese who came to California during the goldrush in the mid-1800s. Today it is frequently found in abandoned mining sites there. The history of ailanthus in China is as old as the written language of the country.

Sources and Credits

(c) Amadej Trnkoczy, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/atrnkoczy/11753998934/
(c) 2007 Luigi Rignanese, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=221215&one=T
(c) Martin LaBar, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/32454422@N00/2978947469
(c) 2007 Luigi Rignanese, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=217576&one=T
(c) 2007 Luigi Rignanese, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=218128&one=T
Adapted by Kate Wagner from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ailanthus_altissima
Adapted by Kate Wagner from a work by (c) Unknown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/22733958
Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/24640714
(c) Unknown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/22733960
Adapted by Kate Wagner from a work by (c) Unknown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/22948480

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Tree of Heaven

Summary 6

Ecological threat in the united states 7

Habitat characteristics 8

Prevention and control 9

History in the united states 10