Ailanthus altissima
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Britton & Brown |
| Botanical name: | Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle |
| Common name: | tree of heaven |
| Group: | dicot |
| Family: | Simaroubaceae |
| Growth type: | forb/herb |
| Duration: | perennial |
| Origin: | introduced from Taiwan and China |
| Plant height: | to 60', grows 4-5' per year |
| Foliage: | large, odd- or even-pinnately compound, and arranged alternately on the stem |
| Flower: | Yellow with prominent red veins |
| Flowering time: | large panicles at the end of new shoots. The individual flowers are yellowish green to reddish in color; dioecious. Male flowers malodorous. |
| Habitat: | adaptable to a wide range of conditions, but needs sun |
| Range in New Jersey: | throughout |
| Heritage ranking, if any: | n/a |
| Distribution: |  |
| Misc. | Highly invasive; colonizes disturbed areas; release
allelopathic chemicals which suppress other vegetation; resprouts
vigorously when cut. Has medicinal uses in Chinese medicine. For more information, see NJ DEP's Report on Invasives pdf |