An official website of the United States government.

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

National Invasive Species Information Center
U.S. Department of Agriculture
  1. Home
  2. Terrestrial Invasives
  3. Terrestrial Plants
  4. Tree-of-Heaven

Tree-of-Heaven

Scientific Name

Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle (ITIS)

Common Name

Tree-of-heaven, China-sumac, varnishtree

Native To

China (Fryer 2010)

Date of U.S. Introduction

Late 1700s (Fryer 2010)

Means of Introduction

Ornamental (Fryer 2010)

Impact

Crowds out native species; damages pavement and building foundations in urban areas (Fryer 2010)

Tree-of-Heaven

Tree-of-Heaven, foliage

Credit

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Resource Management

Source
Invasive.org.

Find more images

Spotlights

  • Researchers Receive USDA Funding to Combat Devilishly Invasive Tree-of-Heaven

    • Oct 21, 2024

    • Virginia Tech. News.

    • The $900,000 grant will help Virginia Tech researchers see if the spotted lanternfly can help spread a fungus that kills the tree-of-heaven. The goal of the grant is to develop a native fungus as a biocontrol for the tree-of-heaven. Researchers are investigating whether the spotted lanternfly could help transmit the fungus from tree to tree, reducing the need for human intervention.

  • The Silent Invasion: Nonnative Trees Threaten American Forests

    • Jan 23, 2024

    • USDA. FS. Southern Research Station. CompassLive.

    • Nonnative tree species are gaining a foothold in forest ecosystems. These trees compete with native species for resources, sunlight, and space. Tree of heaven and Chinese tallow tree are the most invasive tree species in the South, according to a recent study which uses Forest Inventory & Analysis data to create an indicator of nonnative tree regeneration success and can help prioritize the species and locations for treatment. 

  • Controlling an Introduced Invasive: On the Search for Ailanthus' Achilles Heel

    • Jan 2023

    • USDA. FS. Northern Research Station. Rooted in Research.

    • Ailanthus altissima (tree-of-heaven) is a rapidly growing invasive tree species introduced to the United States nearly 200 years ago. Today, this species is a common invader in many forests across the nation. Scientists with the Northern Research Station have identified a unique biological control measure for managing Ailanthus—Verticillium nonalfalfae, a native soil-borne fungus. Check out this latest issue of Rooted in Research that explores how Verticillium can reduce Ailanthus populations.

  • ARS Research News - ARS Scientists Discover a Promising Biological Control Agent for Tree-of-Heaven in France

    • Dec 1, 2021

    • USDA. Agricultural Research Service.

    • United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and collaborators confirmed the presence of a newly described Eriophyid mite, a potential biological control agent for the invasive tree-of-heaven, in France. The study, published in Phytoparasitica, showed that this was the first record of the mite species in the country, and the species could be a solution for managing tree-of-heaven infestations in Europe and the United States.

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

Videos

All Resources

View and Filter All Tree-of-Heaven Resources

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source.

Council or Task Force
Partnership
Federal Government
International Government
State and Local Government
Academic
Citations

  • Fryer, J.L. 2010. Ailanthus altissima. In: Fire Effects Information System. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.

  • Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Ailanthus altissima. [Accessed Sep 26, 2023].