Plant
Tree of heaven
Ailanthus altissima
Also known as: ailanthus, stinking sumac
A fast-growing introduced tree from China, established in the U.S. since 1784 and now invasive across most of North America. Distinctive compound leaves (resembling sumac) and crushed leaves smell of burnt peanut butter or rancid nuts. Common across Staten Island in disturbed sites, alongside roads, in vacant lots, and at forest edges. The principal preferred host plant for the spotted lanternfly — the lanternfly's spread in the Northeast tracks ailanthus distribution heavily.
Scientific
Ailanthus altissima is a 50–80 ft fast-growing deciduous tree native to China. Introduced to the U.S. in 1784 and to the [[beacon-ny|New York]] region as an ornamental in the 19th century. Now widely established as an invasive across most of North America.
Reproduces both by abundant wind-borne seeds and aggressively by root suckers — cut a tree and it sends up dozens of root sprouts. Releases allelopathic compounds (ailanthone) into surrounding soil that suppress other plant species. Tolerates poor soils, drought, air pollution, and disturbed conditions; commonly the first tree to colonize urban vacant lots, cracked sidewalks, and railway edges.
Crushed foliage and broken bark smell strongly of burnt peanut butter or rancid nuts — distinctive enough to be a field-identification feature.
Strong association with [[spotted-lanternfly|spotted lanternfly]] (Lycorma delicatula): ailanthus is the lanternfly’s preferred feeding-and-egg-laying host. The lanternfly invasion’s rapid spread across the Northeast has been driven partly by ailanthus’s prior establishment.
On Staten Island
Common across the borough’s disturbed sites, road edges, vacant lots, vacant building edges, and forest-disturbance zones. NYC Parks and other land managers control ailanthus on borough green spaces; control is difficult due to vigorous root suckering after cutting.
The lanternfly-ailanthus association makes ailanthus management increasingly relevant to lanternfly management — though removing ailanthus alone does not eliminate the lanternfly, since the insect can use many host species.
See also
Auto-generated from this entry’s typed relations: frontmatter, grouped by relation type so the editorial signal isn’t flattened.
- Substrate of: [[spotted-lanternfly]]
- Member of: [[plants]]
- Contained by: [[staten-island]]
Sources
- USDA Forest Service Silvics of North America: tree-of-heaven
- [[beacon-ny|New York]] State DEC invasive-species records
- [[spotted-lanternfly|Spotted lanternfly]] research literature on ailanthus association
Rooted in life.
What links here, and how
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Scientific
threatens
- Spotted lanternfly spotted lanternfly preferentially feeds and oviposits on tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima, also invasive); the lanternfly-Ailanthus association is part of why the species spread so quickly in the Northeast
General
shares approach with
- Honeysuckle auto-linked via shared tag: invasive
- Water hyacinth auto-linked via shared tag: invasive
3 inbound links · 3 outbound