This state-listed noxious weed is increasingly more common in many of our urban areas where it flourishes. Tree-of-heaven seems right at home in alleys, roadsides, railways, vacant lots, that crack in the sidewalk. Very large trees [β¦]. Tree-of-heaven is an introduced deciduous tree species that can grow up to 80 feet tall and six feet in diameter. It has large pinnately compound leaves. Plants are dioecious male or female with females producing copious seeds each season.
It is seen in diverse locations across our region but is most commonly seen growing in urban areas, where it was once intentionally introduced. Vast numbers of seedlings, saplings, and suckering plants can be seen growing near larger parent trees. The bark on young trees is smooth and green. As it ages, the bark turns gray and develops shallow, diamond-shaped fissures. The green to brown branches grow alternately on the tree and have a pithy, brown center. The branches are also pock-marked with a V-shaped or heart-shaped leaf scars.
Leaves are pinnately compound, meaning they have leaflets attached on each side of a central stem. Leaflets have mostly smooth edges with one to two protruding bumps at the base called glandular teeth. When crushed, the leaves can have a rancid peanut butter-like odor. Male and female flowers form in terminal clusters on separate trees.
Flower clusters may be up to 12 inches wide and are largest on male trees. Tiny individual flowers are light green to pale. In late summer through autumn, tree-of-heaven produces large clusters of papery winged fruit known as samaras. Each fruit contains a single central seed. The samaras vary from greenish-yellow to red-brown and are often vibrantly colored in the fall.
Tree-of-heaven produces a long taproot and suckers freely when cut, making it difficult to control. Creeping roots may extend outward up to 50 feet in all directions. Tree-of-heaven can be easily confused with other trees that have compound leaves with many leaflets, such as sumac or walnut. The leaf edges of the look-alikes typically have teeth or serrations, while those of tree-of-heaven are smooth.
