I cut one those trees down and sawed it into firewood, and stacked the rounds up on the ground. A week later I went to move them into the woodshed and the rounds had put out roots into the ground and were sprouting leaves. Truly the tree of hell!

We've been cutting these trees down to the ground for years and wondered why they were spreading. Now I know and can tackle them properly.

Greetings from Korea. Here, the spotted lanternfly is also an invasive. The Korean Forest Service identified Ailanthus altissima as a "bad tree", because it provided a favorite surface to Lycorma delicatula to lay its eggs on. So you have two reasons to try eradicate Ailanthus altissima.

One of my neighbours has sheep and they eat the tree like you wouldn't belive it. Didn't know that until this summer when i saw him and his grand son cutting down the trees that sheep couldn't reach. So, for younger trees, the sheep are the solution 🙂

I've been seeing this tree in the news especially connected with spotted lantern fly. Neither have made it into my state yet but both are at the doorstep and officials are asking for people to keep a lookout for them. As a citizen naturalist, I appreciate the explanation of how to identify the tree of heaven vs the walnut and ash trees which are common here.

This was so helpful - the history and the specifics about treating ailanthus to eliminate. A looming urgent concern here in Mid-Atlantic is that tree of hell is a favored host for the invasive spotted lantern fly, which is on the march here in the mid-Atlantic.

The smell tells you everything you need to know about the tree of heaven. If you have ever smelled the broken leaf you will know it every time.

I had one large Ailanthus in my backyard that set seed every season and acted like a 'mother' tree, causing no end of seedlings in all the yards adjacent to my lot. To get rid of it, I ringed the bark all the way around with a hatchet, interrupting the tree's ability to feed its roots, then I sprayed the cut ring liberally with Tordon. The bark above the ring peeled off in sheets in about 2 months. I re-applied the Tordon a couple of times. Once I was satisfied that the stump was dead, I set up some guy lines, then took it down with a saw. Looking back on it now, I probably would have saved a couple of small seedlings. Ailanthus seedlings grow very quickly -- 15-20 feet in a season easily -- but can be kept in check by _coppicing_ the trunks back to about 6 inches above the ground. Growing them this way with annual/bi-annual coppicing, they can be used for a very nice palm-like tropical effect in smaller yards. Later, if you get tired of it, just break out the Tordon. Whatever you do though, don't let them go to seed.

Thank you!!! I moved into a property that had this tree right next to the deck and right on top of my septic. Looks like it's been cut back for years and they're suckers everywhere coming up through the deck on the other side of a huge deck. I bet there's about 1600 square feet of this nightmare. I had the main trees cut down a few weeks ago, not knowing all this. Now I have suckers everywhere. This was THE best video. Now onto the removal of buckthorn!

I was on a expedition run by some local botanists 25 years ago and this stuff was all over the place throughout western NC. We covered a large area and saw it almost in every forest as well as the nearest city’s growing out of the side of buildings .

This was so amazing, I wish I would have watched this before I cut 3 down. Talk about a nightmare. I honestly have cried. Thank you so much. I hope I can find the Triclopyr 4 easily, I have a lot of work to do. Thank you again.

I had a juvenile one appear in my bonsai bed where I have 9 other babies left to grow but tree of heaven was the only tree in there that was growing. I just dug it up and was amazed as to how long and thick the roots were for such a young tree. They had even crossed over the trees I purposely planted in there.

The plant that actually looks most like it here in VA is Staghorn Sumac, the leaves are much more more similar between those two than the Walnust, Ash or Hickory. From a distance they're almost indistinguishable until they flower and fruit. ToH has orangey-brown clustered fruit that hangs down where the Staghorn Sumac has distinctly reddish flame-shaped fruit that stands upright. TOH is everywhere along roadsides, at wood's edges and in lawns. I've been fighting them for a few years on 3 properties that belong to me and my family. But since the state isn't doing anything about them it's a constant thing and will be an ongoing battle until they get onto a control program.

I just identified 5 of these in my backyard of the house I moved into in the Midwest. They are still fairly young some being between 4 and 6 feet tall. The largest one grew rapidly over the last year and a half and about 20 feet tall. They are growing in a corner of the yard where I planned to garden around. Glad I identified it and learned it is an invasive tree so I can rid of it. I shall be trying this method!

Hi from the Big City, not only have we had Ailanthus for decades, but now we have SPOTTED LANTERN FLYS all over NYC, not just my Brooklyn back yard, but *crawling on the side of a building on 33 street and the Broadway* !

I found Tree of Hell on my property in Westchester County NY. Ironically, just below two 140 foot black walnuts. The stink glands were not clear nor the smooth leaf margin…the ridges seemed more frequent…main ID: hot old peanut butter smell instead of pungent black walnut smell! Great details for other ID; especially versus other trees

Thanks for this informative video! I will be at my parents property this weekend and will be on the lookout for it. Very useful clear video. Great job!

Thank you so much for this!! I have been having stress dreams about removing a tree of heaven in my yard, but you made it look very manageable :)

We had two very large trees of hell cut down last year, my yard is now a raging sea of suckers. I absolutely hate these trees.

i have so much to learn! I am new to Indiana and just bought quite a few acres and moved here. I want to save the planet - or at least this spot. Your videos are INVALUABLE. Thank you, on behalf of the bugs, birds, bees, bats, bears (well, if any were left here..)...and the planet.

In Kansas City my neighbor's tree was only a small twig in 1997. By 2005 it was 20 feet tall and wide. That tree does not live long in this area but it drops millions of quickly sprouting seeds and has been a headache in my flower garden for 25 years. Every time I disturb the garden soil the seeds sprout. When my neighbor cleaned out her fish pond that grew under the Mimosa, I spread the muck in my garden, not knowing the seeds could remain dormant, even under water, over 20 years until exposed to the sun. The nearly dead tree was removed 4 years ago and I am still fighting seedlings and sprouts all summer.

We have these trees in the foothills of the California Gold Country. I read somewhere that they were brought over by the Chinese who worked in the gold mines, and gold fields back in the days of the great Gold rush here in the west. They are a pest tree, and are cut down and treated mostly. We used to have some vast areas covered with them. You are right about how hardy they are as I have seen them growing in conditions where nothing else will.

Tree of heaven leaflets look more spikey when young. The leaves have a unique radiating palm-like distribution of fronds coming from a central branch - even at a very young age when it's only a foot high. Since they spread by suckering, you often see them growing in a tight stand like bamboo. They frequently grow along the roadside or in flowerbeds, even in grass - anywhere the soil has been disturbed. They also grow extremely quickly like bamboo. The bark is totally smooth when they're young.

Very informative video. Thank you and very well done with the definition being on screen.

In Northern California in the Gold Country these trees are all over where gold panning and prospecting was going on . A co-worker of mine who was kind of a History buff told me it was the Chinese miners who planted these everywhere they went in the mid 1800's using the fast growing straight trunks and limbs for tent poles , tool handles , and possibly even some medicinal purposes ?

I just found your video and thanks for sharing I have been trying to identify these most of the day, BIG help!

You have shared such wonderful info!! I will be rewatching to get the names of all the herbicides that you have recommended.

Hi Jim this is Peggy (Ferguson) Wisniewski. I did a google search on black walnut trees and the tree of heaven, and came across this youtube video. So I’m watching this video, and I realize I’m watching my childhood best friend. You look good old friend 😊, and thanks for the information on killing those root suckers. It’s already too late to prevent them. Take Care old friend, Peggy

I was driving through NJ and PA the other day and this stuff is growing EVERYWHERE. Also probably the reason why there are so many spotted lantern flies.

I made the mistake of just cutting down a dozen of these, early, one spring, and spent the entire summer pulling something like 10,000 root sprouts (100 every day, for about 100 days). A couple years later, I was trying to get rid of a couple more and learned about treating the stump with herbicide. But I cut them late in the spring, this time, after the root system has sent most of its stored energy up the trunk, to form a new canopy, and before that canopy had any time to repay that mortgage. Not one root sprout, that time. I think late summer, fall or winter is the wrong season to cut them down, because lots of sugar has been sent back to the roots, by then. And early spring is too early, because that stored sugar has not been sent up to make the new canopy, yet.

I'm glad I found your channel. This was a very informative video I look forward to watching your channel

Just happened upon your KZfaq. Very well produced and informative. I subscribed to learn more.

Jim I really enjoyed this video. It was interesting and informative. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and care for the environment.

Wow, good luck these suckers are a constant battle on the farm. We don't have any large trees but constantly the young ones coming up scattered around the hillsides and Forest floors everywhere.

Great video I was reading about lanternflies and they kept referring to tree of heaven so I looked you up. Probably thought it was sumac as I rode by but now I know better.

So glad I found this!!!!! Thank you!!!! …and the spotted lantern fly seems to favor this tree😡.. but now I know how to deal with them🙏🏽💖

The Lanterns love these in NYC! Thx for making this very informative and taught me some useful terminology! I forgot about a 'rachis' lol

Thanks for your important work!

I just came here bci read that the spotted lantern fly likes this tree, so i wanted to see what this tree looks like bc we have a problem with that bug here in CT. I came to see what the tree looks like, i got a wonderful lesson as well...

Excellent information. Thank you! We have an infestation of Trees From "Heaven" which we will continue to work on halting it's progress.

This is very helpful. I am going to be looking for them.

Glad I found this, I was about to clear cut our grove of tree of heaven. I have 25 trees on a hillside that have sent root suckers out across my yard. Now I will wait till summer and treat as you suggested. Thanks

This video was so helpful! I am so worried about the latterly. Beat wishes to you all.

Fascinating! Thank you.

This was concise and exactly what I needed because I have these on my property and they drive me nuts

I love your videos, tree of heaven hadn’t been on my radar until I watched this, walked around our forest and I’ll be they are here. The Japanese honeysuckle, burning bush, Bradford pear and now The tree from Hell.

Thank you Jim new subscriber here I found your channel because k was watching a video on the spotted lantern fly 🪰 I live here in MD and this tree is one of the major attractions of this very very invasive insect “plant hopper” I’m sure your aware! So I am educating myself about the insect snd it’s preferences . Well done 👍🏻

Had one in front of y house in Chicago. City had to repair sewer system and they removed it. Was glad. When fall arrived it was the darnest thing to rake up.

The tree that grows in Brooklyn. I can still remember how it smells when bruised.

We bought a small piece of property and had no idea what these were. Between the lantern flys and these bugs, I wish we hadn’t.

Thanks for this video. For years, my forestry consultant and I have been soaking the bark on Tree of Heaven with a Garlon mix. It's pretty much under control. Most of my time is controlling the suckers. My neighbors' properties still have large Trees of Heaven that can send seeds my way. With their permission, I'm going to try the method shown in the video.

Do you have an update on how your treatments worked out? Would love an update video on this! Had to cut down 3 large TOH on my property and now I'm dealing with seedlings everywhere, it's quite the nuisance! I am inevitably missing some of the seedlings so they grew a taproot and now I want to do a basal bark application since they are so small.

Thank you for another educational video! According to brief internet search, because inquiring minds want to know, the Tree of Heaven scent is likened to that of rotting cashews.

In the poorer of the older parts of the city where I was born, Decatur, Illinois, there are some gigantic ones. Nobody seems to cut any of them down. In any part of town, little ones seem to sprout from roots, or perhaps occasionally from seed. Various places I’ve lived in the United States have lots of the tree. I recall a fairly big hillside in Boulder, Colorado that when I saw it maybe thirty years ago was almost an ailanthus monoculture…

Thank you. That along with pawlonia, shrub honeysuckle, privet and bradford pears grrr and that stilt grass taking over everything.

I hear the Norway Maple also inhibits the growth of other trees and plants. Thank you for your video.

Great video. Just moved into a large lot with many trees of heaven. Will have lots to do, but only starting now, in September. Want to get them dealt with before the spotted lanternfly arrives, which will be soon!

This is THE channel for me! I'm currently a landscaper wanting to take my career squarely in the direction of woodland stewardship. What degrees, certifications, education, or credentials do I need? I know half the woods by just living in it my whole life.

Appreciate the primer on botanical terminology.

I've been waging war against these trees for years. I volunteer to help maintain a public park. These trees -- which I call "wooden dandelions" -- were beginning to spread through the park. So during autumn -- while the trees are sending food down to their roots in preparation for next spring -- I girdled the trees and painted the wounds with 8% triclopyr. Next year, the trees were dead and only one tree produced root suckers. (The trees still occasionally sprout from old seeds.)

Thanks so much for the information..we live in a forested area. There are a healthy mix of species...predominantly oaks..Northern Illinois, Sublette specifically. We've been pulling buck thorn, and we weren't sure what the species now identified as tree of heaven..it helps when your neighbor is a Forrester. We were confused because of the similarities to suman and walnut. We'll be diligent in keeping our old oaks as healthy as possible. Your information is invaluable!

This is great info. These are coming up all around my yard and I never thought to treat them as you did.I just cut the shoots off about once per month in all except winter, Great information. Sharing!!!!

really good research greetings from turkey

Excellent video!!!

Thanks for your video, I had this tree cut down by a professional because the root started lifting concrete slab in my backyard. A year later I see baby trees everywhere in my yard all around the house.

I had good luck killing small to mid sized trees in one year (without significant suckering) using Tordon RTU and hack and squirt, but it has taken a second treatment to kill the bigger trees (say 20"+ DBH), and the really big trees I treated with Tordon are still alive after 2 seasons. So, I've switched to Trichlopyr mixed with diesel starting late last summer, so we'll see how that does. Have not tried glyphosate. I've been doing hack and squirt on TOH from late Aug. through mid October, but I've heard some say that they've gotten the best kills on TOH by treating mid summer, so I'm going to try that this summer. One caution, these trees seem to be horribly prone to barberchairing when cut 6-12 months after being treated. I let them stand dead where I can, but if they have to come down don't expect to drop them right where you want them with normal notching tree felling methods.

Thanks for sharing! 👍

Heh. If you don't know it, this is the hardy weed/tree that Betty Smith used as a metaphor for a sort of hardscrabble spirit that allows the poor denizens of her childhood to survive oppressive city life in her semi-autobiographical "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

I have like 5 of these in my yard and I kept chopping them down only for them to sprout out more branches 🙄 thank you this helps. An update on this tree would be greatly appreciated

Liked and subscribed! Though I'm in Florida, this content is educational and helpful in exploring biological control techniques. There are multitudes of plant species (stupidly) introduced here similar to this tree in terms of the branching roots. I see the technique you demonstrated as another possible tool in combating invasive here. Many thanks!

I've got some stumps sending suckers in the gangway between mine and the neighbor's garage. I now know what to do to get rid of them, thx

You can also tell a difference from the smell of the leaves. Tree of heaven smelling like rancid urine and black walnut smelling like citrus and medicine.

I live very near the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. Our brautiful scenic overlooks have most all been ruined by the Tree of Heaven or as we call them Paradise trees. Good to learn how to get rid of them since I'm very aware of their root suckering ability. I'd like to know more about any eradication effort. Thanks

You're absolutely right.

😮astounding!!! You’re the first person I’ve seen to use a dish wand to apply herbicide 👍. Since my main tree was cut down before I got here, would it help to let one sucker on the trunk grow larger for next years treatment?

Very informative video. We bought our house in march 2020. Within a month the side of the house of taken over by what I was calling the "city weedy tree". I had no idea it was actually Tree of Heaven until now. Last year I just hacked it all down and pulled stuff out twice. I thought I "fixed" it. Then sure enough it came back in 2021. I decided I wasn't going to waste my time so I went to Tractor Supply and a bottle of Tordon RTU which worked. I squirted it all over the leaves and within 2 weeks i had a wilted forest along the side of the house. Eventually everything died and turned black. I haven't pulled it out. It looks terrible, but honestly I wanted to see if it was actually dead for good.I'm dealing with my house looking like a horticultural massacre happened. I missed my time now that its September to effectively kill the tree feeding all of this I think. I may need to wait till next july to attempt a hack and squirt on the tree.

I have been in hell with these stinking (literally) trees for 15 years. They were in the back yard around the back of a shed someone before us had planted around a little patio. I hated them so I cut them down. That was 15 years ago. I have been in tree fighting hell ever since. I bought a huge tractor and have pulled up and interrupted the roots with it and that didn't even work. I am going to try and approach it as you suggest. I hope it works. If it does I will send you a couple coupons for a dinner at your favorite chow joint!!

Great job !!

This was exactly the information that I needed. Wondering if the trick will work on other trees that tend to sucker when they are cut to the ground. Hedge? Locust? Calary Pear? I know the Locust and Hedge (Osage Orange) are native but problematic when there are so many of them in one small woods.

Thanks for the video. I think this is the best video I've seen regarding treating these trees. We have (had) hundreds of these and, over the last few years, I've used your technique to kill them. I use Glysophate, for the hack and squirts. At least 44% concentration. I have noticed that the time of year is very important in getting a 'complete' kill. with no suckering. I've treated earlier in the season and had quite a few suckers so now I aim to treat just before the leaves start to turn. When, as you say, all the energy flow is heading towards the roots. I have noticed that many sprouts surround our dieing oaks. Whether this causes the die-off or is a results of the die off itself I do not know. It is concerning, as we have lost many oaks, and what with the allelopathic nature of this tree and garlic mustard I'm worried that the soil will take many years to recover. These Tree of heaven absolutely cover the roadsides here in Maryland, and any utility line cutting work always seems to just cut and do nothing else. Also we have the oncoming issue of spotted lantern fly, which is suspected of needing tree of heaven to breed. And those little buggers can do some SERIOUS damage to a woodland. So thanks for the video. Great advice! Hope more people watch this.

When we moved to our farm house in rural Southwest Missouri, our yard was full of elms and trees of paradise (heaven). All were tall, mature trees. We discovered the trunks of trees of paradise tended to hollow out they aged, which made them very brittle and prone to wind damage. Large limbs would crack and fall in a strong thunderstorm. Sometimes even the upper trunk, 20-30 feet up, would split from the wind as it was hollow. They, too, sent out sprouts from the roots, especially along the roadway ditches. It was a constant battle to remove them. However, over the course of about 20 years, the mature trees died out. No one poisoned them. Possibly the regular mowing kept sprouts from getting established. Left untouched, I've seen thickets of young sprouts that would require a chainsaw to make a dent in. We were told the wife of the original family had planted them because they grew fast and there were no shade trees around the house when they first moved there around 1900. The last trees probably died out in the 1980s. (edit for spelling)

thanks for sharing

Great video, needed to brush up on the tree of heaven. Thanks for the info. New subscriber!

Excellent. Unfortunately, my tree trem guy just cut my tree of heaven off and left a few feet high stump as it was growing into an old fence. I had no idea what it was! It's taking over now as it has spread twenty feet around the tree.

Thank you for this video. How often do you need to reapply the herbicide? Where to you buy the herbicide?

Very cool video

I have been using the hack/squirt and basal bark method on 12 trees of hell for the past 2 seasons. The method works and most of the bark is dark, decaying and clearly affected by the herbicide (Brustox / Triclophyr). I am having these trees cut down. I feel I am prepared for the battle of suckers that awaits me.

I never beleived my devices listened to me but having a convo with hubby about this tree today. We have what I think are black locust. Similar leaves. We are in high desert southern Calif behind the Eastern Sierras. I think that was the tree back by a separate workshop. I used image match of the leaves to match it! Its all over town! It rooted from seeds and mostly from the roots. The main tree wasnt that big and blocked the way into the workship door. Interestingly a very similar tree but grew more in a canopy shape but seemed identical leaves is growing about 30 feet over from that one. It has similar flowers but a lot of pods. The other one had flowers and minimal pods. We got the bad tree and roots all out. The other tree is not invasive even from the pods? I keep thinking maybe its the other gender or maybe just looks similar. Strangely the bees would die from the the tree from hell! Im not sure if they overate the pollen or it was toxic to them. The reason I was talking about it is we drove by a yard infested with these trees I call scary tree. But weirdly in the middle of the tees was one looking just like the "sister" tree? The pods are now turning brow as was this one? So I think thats how we got it out. We didnt hire out the landscaper to get rid of other dead trees on our retirement purchase lot. We just kept pulling the sprouts! First the 4 foot one then the smaller and kept after them. so none were there by the time he took out the main tree. Well at any rate the one with lots of pods never root and never sucker?!

If I use a mini excavator, and dig out the roots, would I still get the suckers? Great video. Thanks!

Thank you!!!

Have used battery powered drill with 2" wood boring drill bit about 1" into trunk at 45 degree angle simply pour Fertilome brand stump and brush killer (undiluted) into cavity around tree trunk. Late summer or early fall when leaves begin to drop is correct time. For small seedlings or young trees, mix 8 oz to 1 gal water, just spray leaves only during hottest part of summer, wait one day, then cut or mow down. Large trees will take 2 years, will die back slowly from the very tips first. Works, patience is key!

This is an insidious plant. Have 33 acres in southern Illinois and have used Tordan with similar technique. This and Russian Olive are invasive in area's where the land was not properly maintained. It amazed me that some people maintain these invasive junk trees.

Outstanding presentation. I despise tree of heaven. I've used triclopyr extensively on barberry (another invasive plant) and, I use it on my lawn to get rid of weeds. It's great for getting rid of clover and won't harm most common grasses as long as it's properly mixed with water. Thanks for the info on how to kill Ailanthus.

In Oklahoma we're having trouble with Bradford Pear seedlings springing up everywhere... there are old fields now with 90% bradford pears, pretty when they bloom but they crowd everything else out

Ok, so now I know why I have several popping up. Obviously I chose a tree guy that had no idea by removing the 2 or 3 that I had would only produce more. Question, the small ones that I have and are popping up in my front yard (and neighbors), can I spray the leaves with this Triclopyr? Some of them are young enough and I am able to pull them out, roots and all (I think!). But others will not budge. Checking out Triclopyr 4 and Kerosene on Amazon, do you have a link to share? Or tell me exactly what to purchase at Home Depot? And what about using a methylated seed oil instead of kerosene? TIA! Thanks for the great video too!

Thank you for this very informative video... I’ll be back to let you know if we can knock off the 50 or so small ones growing in our yard.

Thank you sir, for great botanical explanation. I wonder being tall tree, does tree of haven produce Any Useful Wood or any other economic benefit. Good day. Jyssojuan

Thank you sooo much for all of this great information!! I purchased the Alligare Triclopyr from Amazon and it just arrived yesterday but I have a question. When you say 5 parts of the Triclopyr to 100 parts kerosene, would you say I should combine say, 5 oz of the Triclopyr with 100 oz of kerosene for example?

I did the hack a squirt method last September using store bought vine and wild brush killer but it came right back up this year. My tree is 40-50 feet tall. I am looking for a stronger substance.

I have a plant growing in my front yard that at first I thought was a tree of heaven, then, after this video, I thought was a walnut tree, but now, after looking at it again, I have no clue. It seems like it's growing in canes that are 10-12 feet high, has the leaves that look exactly like the walnut you showed, and does not smell during the day, but as soon as the sun is almost set, sends a garbagy moldy smell wafting into my house. I'm cutting it down regardless, but wondered if you or anyone here might know what it is.