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Tree of heaven

Ailanthus altissima

Summary 5

Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven) is a deciduous tree in the Simaroubaceae family. It is native to both northeast and central China as well as Taiwan and is found in temperate climates.

Botanical Information 6

Ailanthus altissima, commonly known as the tree of heaven or as stink tree, belongs to the family of Simaroubaceae. It is a tall deciduous tree that grows rapidly and can reach 40-100 feet tall, however, it's lifespan is relatively short, only reaching 30-50 years old. The bark is smooth and brownish-green when young, maturing to a light brown/grey, resembling a cantaloupe. The leaves shoot off from a main central trunk and are compound, which means each "leaf" which is about 1-4 feet long is divided into smaller "leaflets" that are arranged in opposite pairs, individually 2-6 inches long. Each leaflet has smooth leaf margins which is how you can tell it apart from walnuts or sumacs. The leaves and males flowers give off a smelly odor, described as rancid nut butter, that can make people nauseous. The fruits of the tree of heaven contain one seed centered in a papery wing that fades in color from green to yellow to pink to finally ripening into a red-brown.

Ecological Information 6

The tree of heaven was introduced as an ornamental to the US from China during the 1700's. It was later introduced to the west coast during the 1850s and is now considered invasive to the Bosque ecosystem (although it does provide nice shade). It is common in urban settings and can proliferate rapidly, sending shoots up from its roots as far as 50ft from the mother plant. Another reason why it is so prolific is it can tolerate almost any type of habitat and does well in poor soils or dry environments.

Ethnobotanical Information 7

The tree of heaven has been reported to have some antimalarial properties. In China, it was used as an insect repellent, and its wood is used for cabinetry.

References 8

www.nature.org
www.cabi.org
www.freedictionary.com
www.almaany.com
www.docs.dcnr.pa.gov

USDA, Natural Resouces Conservation Service. (2002, October). Plant Guide, Tree of Heaven. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_010924.pdf

Penn State Extension. (2020, November 2). Tree of Heaven. https://extension.psu.edu/tree-of-heaven

Southwest Desert Flora. (2020, January 24). Ailanthus altissima, Tree of Heaven. http://southwestdesertflora.com/WebsiteFolders/All_Species/Simaroubaceae/Ailanthus%20altissima,%20Tree%20of%20Heaven.html

About the Author 9

Student author*: Jazmin and Anahi (age 13) from South Valley Academy

*The entries in this field guide have been edited by Yerba Mansa Project staff to ensure that they contain quality, fact-checked content and standardized formatting. https://yerbamansaproject.org/

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) jscior28, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  2. (c) Plant Image Library, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/138014579@N08/36488327742/
  3. (c) Dietmut Teijgeman-Hansen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/reisgekki/2789572546/
  4. (c) Bas Kers (NL), some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/21933510@N07/3585664260/
  5. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ailanthus_altissima
  6. Adapted by smiller33 from a work by (c) kristen_himm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  7. (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  8. Adapted by Hannah from a work by (c) caseynm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  9. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) caseynm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

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