Ailanthus altissima - Tree of Heaven Fact Sheet

Tree of Heaven Fact Sheet

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Family:  Simaroubaceae - Quassia family
Latin name:  Ailanthus altissima
Common name:  Tree of Heaven

Tree of Heaven - leaves pinnately compound - looking at leaves from below

Ailanthus altissima - end of branch showing leaf scar and bundle scars

Previous location of Ailanthus altissima

Ailanthus altissima - multiple trees close together in Naperville

Ailanthus altissima - young tree, leaf and bundle scars closeup

Tree of Heaven - leaves pinnately compound - basal lobes with glands

Tree of Heaven - leaves pinnately compound - basal lobes with glands - close up picture

Tree of Heaven - tree covered with large clusters of fruit

Tree of Heaven - closeup of large clusters of fruit

Tree of Heaven, clusters of flowers. Single seeded dried fruit of Ailanthus altissima

Tree of Heaven - leaves pinnately compound - this one is 32 inches long

INVASIVE PLANT
Ailanthus altissima is listed as an exotic invasive species to the Midwest by the Midwest Invasive Plant Network and should not be planted in the Midwest.

Native to China, non-native in U.S.

The first 7 photos were taken at Morton Arboretum in .
- Tree habit in winter and summer. (March and July of 2004)
- Picture looking up into the branches of Ailanthus altissima in winter and summer. (March and July of 2004)
- Ailanthus altissima - end of branch showing leaf scar and bundle scars (March 2004)
- Flowers on the Tree of Heaven (July 2004)
- Only a few wood chips remain where the Ailanthus altissima was removed. (June 2005)
The remaining photos were from trees in Naperville.
- Group of mature Ailanthus trees - was located in Naperville, Illinois just west of the parking garage on Benton. Houses and trees on these lots were demolished in the fall of 2009 and parking garage was extended.
- Tree of Heaven flowers
- Young Tree of Heaven near the Naperville post office - main stalk, leaf and bundle scars,
- End of the leaf petiole
- Closeup of leaflets from Ailanthus altissima. Note leaflets nearly oppoisite positioning, rounded base and one or two "teeth" or perhaps tiny lobes near base.
- Closeup of leaflets from Ailanthus altissima. Note the glands near the tips of lower lobes
- Fruit on Ailanthus altissima - near the Art League building along the Riverwalk in Naperville, Illinois.
- Closeup of fruit on Ailanthus altissima - near the Art League building along the Riverwalk in Naperville, Illinois.
- Closeup of dried fruit on a broken branch
- Leaf with 28 leaflets. The entire leaf is about 31 inches long.
Leaves:
- odd-pinnate, 40-60 cm long
- leaflets
  - 13-27 opposite or nearly opposite leaflets
  - papery, ovate, or lanceolate, 7-13 cm long and 2.5-4 cm wide
  - upper side of the leaf is deep green, underside is grayish
  - acuminate tip, rounded base
  - one or two glandular tips on each side near the base
Flowers:
- panicles with greenish flowers appearing from April to May.
- about 6 mm long with 5 imbricate sepals and five petals
Fruit
- appears from August to October
- large clusters of oblong samara, 3 - 4.5 cm long and 1-1.2 cm wide
- papery pink/green slightly twisted wing
- single flat seed in the middle of the wing

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