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Are these mature trees of heaven? #842619

Asked July 25, 2023, 7:46 PM EDT

Good evening. I have two large trees in my backyard, which I'm fairly certain are trees of heaven, but I want to be absolutely certain before I consider removal. The trees themselves are a bit over two feet in diameter, and maybe 40-50 feet high (rough estimate based on my house height). They both get thin, white columnar clusters of flowers in spring, although I forget if either of them drop seeds later in the season. I believe they do. I've included a photo of the flowers. I do get tree of heaven root suckers all over my property, sometimes all the way in the front yard, but my alley has several smaller trees of heaven, which I'm sure of, and I'm not sure if those are responsible. The smaller shoots smell characteristically bad, but when I break branches off of the largest two trees, they don't smell nearly as much. The second photo is of some of the tree's various characteristics. Thank you for the help!

Wayne County Michigan

Expert Response

Hi David,


That does indeed look like tree of heaven. It's a terrible nuisance. To be sure, watch for reddish/pinkish clusters of seeds producing now or very soon. 

Please read about tree of heaven removal before you attempt it. If you simply cut the trunk, it will send up numerous new shoots from its roots. If you go the herbicide route, most sources recommend applying late in the season when the tree is storing energy in its roots. 

Here is a link to an article with recommendations from Penn State

Rutgers.

Scroll to page 6 for control suggestions from the USDA.

Seeds should be dropping soon. Make sure you clean them up and put them in trash bags--don't compost them--so that they do not germinate in your lawn or in the landfill. 

I hope this helps. Thank you for being a responsible landowner and removing these trees. 

Lindsey K. Kerr, MS, MHP (she, her, hers)
Consumer Horticulture Educator
Michigan State University Extension

Lindsey K. Kerr, MS, MHP (she, her, hers) Replied July 26, 2023, 1:05 PM EDT

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