Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Malvids: Sapindales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA (11/30/12):
Ailanthus altissima
FAMILY
Simaroubaceae
NEW! Click to go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Extrafloral nectaries, nectar-producing glands physically apart from the flower, occur in 2000+ plant species, including Ailanthus. Read more at UF/IFAS Extension.
Read more about Ailanthus at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Ailanthus altissima
FAMILY
Simaroubaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 104-01-001:
Ailanthus altissima
FAMILY
Simaroubaceae
COMMON NAME:
Ailanthus, Tree-of-heaven
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_aigl_001_lvd
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JK Marlow jkm0301a_22a
January Greenville County SC
Lateral buds partly surrounded by the large, shield-shaped leaf scar, per Woody Plants of Kentucky and Tennessee.
COMPARE
leaf scars of Sumac and Tree-of-heaven
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JK Marlow jkm080317_001
March Greenville County SC
Clusters of wing-shaped fruit persistent on female trees, per Nonnative Invasive Plants of Southern Forests.
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JK Marlow jkm160328_161
March Greenville County SC
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JK Marlow jkm0204l_04
April Greenville County SC
The leaf scar is heart-shaped, per Winter Tree Finder.
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JK Marlow jkm090417_001
April Greenville County SC
Parking lot
Interesting twig "architecture"...
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JK Marlow jkm210401_9067
April Polk County NC
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JK Marlow jkm090521_021
May Greenville County SC
Tree-of-heaven on left; Black Locust on right.
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JK Marlow jkm090524_032
May Pickens County SC
Roadside ditch
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JK Marlow jkm110514_544
May Greenville County SC
Leaflets entire except for basal teeth, each with a prominent gland beneath, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
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JK Marlow jkm170512_479
May Greenville County SC
Flowers in large (often 4dm long) terminal panicles, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
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JK Marlow jkm170512_489
May Greenville County SC
5 sepals each < 1mm long; 5 petals each 1.5-2.5mm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
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JK Marlow jkm170512_489b
May Greenville County SC
Petals densely pubescent near the base. (Staminate flowers have 10 stamens.), per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
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JK Marlow jkm170512_496
May Greenville County SC
Five petals (or maybe sometimes 6?).
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JK Marlow jkm170512_498
May Greenville County SC
Extrafloral nectaries can be found on the leaflet margins, per Many Plants Have Extrafloral Nectaries Helpful to Beneficials (Mizell, 2001) .
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JK Marlow jkm190506_8177
May Greenville County SC
Swamp Rabbit Trail
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Keith Bradley kab_a_altissima_73609
May Polk County NC
Colonizing even undisturbed forests and outcompeting the native vegetation, per Weakley's Flora (2012).
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JK Marlow s000504_bc
May Greenville County SC
Leaves w 11-29 leaflets, entire except for rounded basal gland-tipped teeth, per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge.
COMPARE
leaves of Sumac and Tree-of-heaven
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JK Marlow jkm0306b_16
June Greenville County SC
Roadside
Fruit a schizocarp w 2-5 samaroid [samara-like] mericarps each w a single seed, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
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JK Marlow jkm0306b_23
June Greenville County SC
Parking lot
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JK Marlow jkm0306h_22
June Greenville County SC
Shade-intolerant, Ailanthus thrives near the reflected warmth of buildings, per Book of Field and Roadside.
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JK Marlow jkm0306h_25
June Greenville County SC
Petiolules 0.2-1cm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
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JK Marlow jkm0406l_11
June Greenville County SC
Populates city alleys, vacant lots, railroad embankments, dump sites..., per Book of Field and Roadside.
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JK Marlow jkm060709_050
July Fayette County WV
Adapts to a wide variety of soils, moisture conditions and temperatures, per Book of Field and Roadside.
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JK Marlow jkm0408f_01
August Greenville County SC
Parking lot
WEAKLEY'S FLORA (11/30/12):
Ailanthus altissima
FAMILY
Simaroubaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Ailanthus altissima
FAMILY
Simaroubaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 104-01-001:
Ailanthus altissima
FAMILY
Simaroubaceae
43
Tree
Perennial
Polygamous
Non-native: east Asia
Habitat: Roadsides, forests, disturbed areas, including cities, especially in moist, fertile soils, per Weakley's Flora
NEW! Click here to see a map from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US showing range and abundance.
Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)
This plant is causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:
- Alabama Invasive Plant Council, 2012
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden
- Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2006
- Kentucky Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2013
- Mid-Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council
- NC Botanical Garden
- NC Department of Transportation
- SC Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2014
- SC Native Plant Society
- Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2009
- US Fish & Wildlife Service
- US Forest Service Southern Research Station
- Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, 2014
LEAVES:
Deciduous
Odd-pinnately compound: 15-27 leaflets
Alternate
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Yellowish-green
Bisexual & unisexual
Radially symmetrical
5 sepals
5 petals
10 stamens in staminate flowers/2-3 stamens in perfect/absent in pistillate
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Pink
Schizocarp of samaroid mericarps
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC p383
- Invasive Plants, Guide to Identification, Impacts and Control p095
- A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests p024
- Identifying Trees: An All-Season Guide to Eastern North America p134
- Invasive Exotic Plants of North Carolina p012
- Nonnative Invasive Plants of Southern Forests p02
- Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast p082
- Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide p347
- Trees of the Southeastern United States p078
- Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge p09
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide p052