Ailanthus, << ay LAN thuhs, >> is a hardy tree that thrives in cities and places where other trees fail to grow. It is also called the tree of heaven. Although native to the forests of China, the tree grows throughout much of the world.
An ailanthus has smooth brown-gray bark and small greenish flowers. Male flowers give off an unpleasant odor. During spring and summer, the tree produces compound leaves (leaves with more than one blade) that smell like peanut butter when they are broken. In autumn, an ailanthus develops attractive, reddish-brown, winged fruits.
Because the ailanthus can live in most soils and many climates, people often call it a “weed tree.” It resists injury from insects, diseases, and pollution. Seedlings carried by the wind sprout almost anywhere they land. Many ailanthuses grow at roadsides and forest edges. They also flourish in vacant city lots and sidewalk cracks. The tree develops remarkably fast. From seed, it may grow 8 feet (2.4 meters) in one year. A mature ailanthus stands about 60 feet (18 meters) tall.
