{"id":25444,"date":"2023-09-12T11:38:37","date_gmt":"2023-09-12T15:38:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/?p=25444"},"modified":"2026-04-01T10:43:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T14:43:28","slug":"publication-invasive-plant-series-tree-of-heaven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/publication-invasive-plant-series-tree-of-heaven\/","title":{"rendered":"Publication: Invasive Plant Series-Tree of Heaven, Ailanthus altissima"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Invasive<\/a>Tree-of-heaven (ToH), also known as Chinese sumac, varnish tree, or stink tree, is a large, rapidly growing deciduous tree native to parts of China. Tree-of-heaven was introduced to North America as early as the late 1700s and has since become invasive in most areas of the United States. Tree-of-heaven can be found, sometimes in abundance, in both urban and rural environments. The tree spreads through abundantly produced wind-scattered seeds from female trees, and sprout colonies arising from established trees, in some cases producing monoculture stands of the species. ToH has also been shown to produce allelopathic chemicals that can inhibit the growth of neighboring plants, providing an additional competitive advantage.<\/p>\n

Tree-of-heaven is a serious threat as an invasive species in many habitats or untended areas. It can reach 80 feet or more, its growth rate outpaces most native tree species, and wind scatters seeds that female trees produce in abundance. Controlling ToH is a challenge. In this publication, Purdue University extension specialists and property managers explain herbicide options, application techniques and strategies to control and manage ToH.<\/p>\n

To receive the free download visit the Purdue Extension’s resource center: The Education Store – Invasive Plant Series – Tree of Heaven, Ailanthus altissima<\/a>.<\/p>\n

View Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Video: ID That Tree: Invasive Tree of Heaven<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Resources:
\n<\/strong>Invasive Species<\/a>, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
\nReport Invasive Species<\/a>, Purdue Invasive Species
\nWhat are invasive species and why should I care?<\/a>, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources
\nInvasive plants: Impact on Environment and People,<\/a> The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
\nA Woodland Management Moment<\/a>, Playlist, Purdue Extension \u2013 Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) Youtube Channel
\nConservation Tree Planting: Steps to Success<\/a>, Purdue Extension \u2013 FNR Youtube Channel
\nForest Improvement Handbook<\/a>, The Education Store
\nTree Risk Management<\/a> \u2013 The Education Store, Purdue Extension\u2019s resource center
\nInvesting in Indiana Woodlands<\/a>, The Education Store
\nWoodland Invaders<\/a>, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension \u2013 FNR
\nIndiana Department of Natural Resources: Invasive Species<\/a>
\nInvasive Plant Species Identification<\/a>, Video, Purdue Extension \u2013 FNR Youtube Channel
\nMile-a-minute Vine<\/a>, The Education Store
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lenny Farlee<\/a>, Extension Forester
\nHardwood Tree Improvement & Regeneration Center (HTIRC) & Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources<\/p>\n

Ron Rathfon<\/a>, Regional Extension Forester, Southern Indiana Purdue Agriculture Center (SIPAC)
\nPurdue Forestry and Natural Resources<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tree-of-heaven (ToH), also known as Chinese sumac, varnish tree, or stink tree, is a large, rapidly growing deciduous tree native to parts of China. Tree-of-heaven was introduced to North America as early as the late 1700s and has since become invasive in most areas of the United States. Tree-of-heaven can be found, sometimes in abundance, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,42,48,49,54],"tags":[1824,66,413,680,1564,1624],"class_list":["post-25444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alert","category-forestry","category-invasiveplantspecies","category-plants","category-wildlife","tag-ailanthus-altissima","tag-invasive-plant-species","tag-publication","tag-purdue-education-store","tag-purdue-extension-forestry-and-natural-resources","tag-tree-of-heaven","audience-for-enthusiasts","audience-for-homeowners","audience-for-landowners","audience-for-professionals"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-14 11:05:53","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25444"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25444\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39079,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25444\/revisions\/39079"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}