AILANTHUS Science Page DID YOU KNOW? THE AILANTHUS PLANT .usbg.gov Ailanthus trees grow rapidly, and can reach w Ailanthus can grow in places where 25 meters (80 ft) or more in height. ww almost nothing else All parts of the plant, but will grow. It can especially the flowers, have a strong smell. even grow out of cracks in sidewalks In spring, yellow flowers in polluted cities. appear at the tips of the branches. Male and female flowers are on different trees. male The roots flower UNITEDSTATES BOTANIC GARDEN ORIGINS exude a chemical that Ailanthus is a female hinders the flower native of China. growth of In the US, it was other plants. In summer first planted in and early fall, Philadelphia in The leaves are large clusters of red 1784. It was with pointed leaflets. fruits ripen a popular tree on the female trees. One tree among urban can produce gardeners because thousands of A cluster of its large, fruits each of fruit is year, which are beautiful leaves, rapid growth, and hardiness. Each fruit blown by the 15-30 cm Now the plant is considered a weedy pest 30-60 cm has one (6-12 in) (12-24 in) wind to new seed. long. because it quickly takes over new areas. growing places. CLASSIFYING AILANTHUS FAMILY GENUS SPECIES Simaroubaceae (Quassia family) Ailanthus altissima There are about 150 members in this family. There are about 10 species in “Altissima” is Latin for Most are tropical trees and shrubs. The common name for this genus, all native to Asia “tallest.” Ailanthus grows and Australia. The family is named the family, Quassia, to over after its members in the comes from one of its A. malabarica eight genus Simarouba. members, the quassia stories tree. This tree was high. named after a famous healer in Surinam, who used its bark to cure fevers. All the tropical trees and shrubs in the Quassia family have A. altissima bitter tasting wood. “Ailanthus” comes from the A chemical called Moluccan word meaning “sky quassiin, taken from tree” or “tree of heaven.” Quassia amara the heartwood of some (Molucca is a language spoken species, is used in Simarouba glauca (quassia tree) on some of the islands of insecticides. (paradise tree) Indonesia.) UNITEDSTATES BOTANICGARDEN FRIEND... ...OR FOE? In poorer In cities, ailanthus trees can countries sprout and grow next to buildings, the wood and damage foundations. is used for In woodlots, the trees lumber can quickly take over and fuel. In and crowd out other East Asia species. Once it the fruits starts to grow, ww are used in it is very difficult to w traditional kill, because new shoots can .usbg.gov medicine. sprout up from the roots. SPOTLIGHT PUZZLE ON RESEARCH .usbg.gov w Word Scramble Mapping Ailanthus ww Ailanthus is a native of (1) NICAH. The scientific One female ailanthus tree can produce more name for ailanthus is Ailanthus (2) MALIASTSI. than 300,000 winged seeds each year. The Male and female ailanthus flowers are on (3) seeds can ride the wind for great distances, REPASEAT trees. The fruits of Ailanthus are and when they land, they can quickly sprout one-seeded and (4) GWENID. All parts of the and grow into new trees. In many parts of the ailanthus tree, but especially the flowers, have United States ailanthus is quickly spreading a strong (5) MELLS. Ailanthus is difficult to get from the cities to the countryside. In some rid of because new shoots can sprout from (6) suburban areas, thick stands grow along UNITEDSTATES BOTANIC GARDEN TOROS. highways, overtaking native habitats. Scientists at the West Virginia University are trying to better understand where ailanthus has spread, and where it is likely to invade in the TRY THIS future. To do this, they plotted the location of all the female trees in 9 different 85-hectare plots Ailanthus Survey across a typical urban-rural gradient (a straight Do ailanthus trees grow in your line drawn from the city, through the suburbs, neighborhood? If so, where are they growing? to the countryside). They used both air photos What are they like? Do this survey to find out. and ground surveys to find all the female trees What you need within the 9 plots. The female trees can easily * map of your neighborhood be spotted on air photos taken when the seeds * pencil and paper ripen in mid-summer. * pictures of ailanthus for identification The scientists discovered that there are equal What to do numbers of female trees in the urban and 1. Take a walk all around your neighborhood suburban plots. There are far fewer in the rural and look for ailanthus trees. When you find a plots where native forests are intact. However, tree, mark it on your map with a number. urban trees already occupy most of the available 2. Estimate the size (for example, seedling, space where they can live, except where people small tree, medium tree, or tall tree) of continually remove saplings. Suburban trees the tree. Note the sex of the tree. You may are found at the edges of roadsides and forests, be able to tell by looking at the flowers and in other places where native habitat has or, in the case of a female tree, by noting been disturbed. They are poised to spread into the presence of fruit. Note the growing new areas in the suburbs, especially where new conditions that are present. For example, roads and homes are being built. is the tree growing in full sun or mostly in Source: Landerberger, R.E., McGraw, J.B., and Warner, T.A. [poster] shade? What is the soil like? Note if the tree (2005) Spatial patterns of female Ailanthus altissima across an urban-to-rural land use gradient in the mid-Atlantic region, U.S. is damaging or is likely to damage building Department of Biology and Department of Geology and Geography, foundations or underground pipes. Make a West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, U.S.A. chart with these headings to record your observations: “...” date QUOTE specimen number size “The one tree in Francie’s yard was neither a sex (if female, does it have fruits?) pine nor a hemlock. It had pointed leaves which growing conditions grew along green switches which radiated from causing damage? the bough and made a tree which looked like a lot of opened up green umbrellas. Some people 3. Prepare a report of your findings. ww call it the Tree of Heaven. No matter where w GARDEN MOSAICS GARDEN its seed fell, it made a tree which struggled to .gardenmosaics.org reach the sky. It grew in boarded-up plots and out of neglected rubbish heaps, and it was the only tree that grew out of cement. It grew lushly, but only in the tenement districts.” - from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith Tandem Publishing Co. Ltd, (1971) p. 5. .