Species Profile
Tree-of-Heaven: Identification, Threat, and Control
Tree-of-heaven arrives in Central Ohio without neighbors to stop it. It grows faster than almost anything native, smells acrid when crushed, and spreads by prolific seed and stubborn root sprouts. Once established in a yard or forest edge, it's not a problem you solve by cutting. It's one you manage with herbicide and patience.
How to identify tree-of-heaven
Tree-of-heaven is unmistakable once you know what to look for. The most obvious feature is its enormous compound leaves. Each leaflet is 2 to 4 inches long, arranged in 20 or more pairs along a central stem, creating a feathery spray that can be 2 to 3 feet long. The leaflets are smooth, lance-shaped, and slightly waxy.
The trunk and branches are smooth and pale gray or greenish, very different from the peeling or furrowed bark of native trees. Crush a leaf or twig, and you'll catch a distinctive acrid, unpleasant smell, often compared to burnt or rancid nuts. This smell is hard to forget and is often your first clue you're looking at tree-of-heaven rather than native sumac.
Tree-of-heaven grows remarkably fast, sometimes adding several feet in a single season. Young trees often have a colonnade of stems clustered together, while older trees develop a wider crown. In late summer, look for winged seeds (samaras) that cluster in dense, papery bunches; they're pale green or reddish and persist into winter.
Why tree-of-heaven is invasive in Central Ohio
Tree-of-heaven's success in the Upper Scioto watershed is rooted in a simple advantage: it grows where other plants can't or won't. It thrives in disturbed soil, along roadsides, in parking lot cracks, in fill dirt and abandoned lots. Most native plants find these conditions hostile; tree-of-heaven sees opportunity.
Beyond habitat tolerance, tree-of-heaven is allelopathic, meaning it releases chemical compounds from its roots and leaves that inhibit the growth of nearby plants. Native wildflowers, shrubs, and tree seedlings struggle to survive in its presence. It creates a zone of suppression, a kind of chemical monoculture.
A single mature tree produces large numbers of winged seeds that travel on the wind, finding new cracks and disturbed patches across the watershed. Even when seeds don't germinate, broken root fragments can sprout new stems. This vegetative reproduction gives the tree a second life after disturbance.
Why cutting tree-of-heaven fails
This is the most important lesson: if you cut down tree-of-heaven and walk away, you've only solved the immediate problem. Within weeks to months, multiple new stems will sprout from the cut stump, sometimes a dozen or more. Each sprout grows rapidly, leaving you with a denser, bushier tree than what you started with.
The reason is simple. Tree-of-heaven's root system is extensive and shallow, with a large root crown just below the soil surface. When you cut the stem, you remove only above-ground growth. The roots remain alive and full of energy. They respond to wounding by mobilizing reserves and sending up shoots. Every cut is an invitation to more sprouting.
This is why any control strategy relying solely on cutting, whether once or annually, is destined to fail. The tree will outlast your patience and your schedule.
How to control tree-of-heaven
For small trees (less than 2 inches in diameter): Cut the stem close to the ground and immediately apply an herbicide labeled for woody plants to the fresh cut surface. The herbicide moves down into the root system while the cut is exposed. Apply within minutes of cutting; don't let the wound dry. Repeat applications on any new sprouts that emerge. Most small trees can be knocked back with two or three rounds of treatment over one growing season.
For larger trees: Larger trees have deeper, more extensive roots that can be harder to kill with cut-surface herbicide alone. Some landowners use hack-and-squirt, where cuts are made in the bark around the trunk and herbicide is applied to the wounds. This forces the herbicide through the tree's vascular system and into the roots. It's slower than cutting but effective if done properly.
For very large trees or dense infestations: Professional removal is often the best choice. Local arborists and invasive-species contractors are increasingly familiar with tree-of-heaven. They can fell large trees safely and treat stumps immediately, preventing the regrowth that do-it-yourself efforts often miss.
Always follow label instructions, wear gloves and eye protection, and apply herbicide only to the cut stump or wound, not to surrounding soil. Once main stems are dead, you may still see small sprouts emerging from the root system months later. Pull these by hand when soil is moist and sprouts are young, or treat them as they emerge. The goal is to exhaust the root's energy reserves before it rebuilds leaf area.
Native alternatives
If you have space for a medium to large tree in a difficult site, consider serviceberry, pawpaw, or a native hickory. These handle poorer soil better than many natives and provide food and habitat for Central Ohio wildlife. See our guide to native alternatives for site-specific options, and our species watchlist for the other invaders to know on sight.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I tell tree-of-heaven apart from native sumac?
The two sometimes grow near each other and their leaves look vaguely similar, but they're easy to separate once you know the differences. Tree-of-heaven has large leaflets (2 to 4 inches) arranged in 20 or more pairs, each with a small notch near the base where it attaches. Native sumac species like smooth sumac have smaller, toothed leaflets. Sumac bark is soft and reddish-brown; tree-of-heaven bark is smooth and gray. Crush a twig: tree-of-heaven has that acrid smell, sumac does not. Finally, sumac fruit is an upright cluster of fuzzy red berries, while tree-of-heaven fruit is pale, papery winged seeds. The crushed-twig smell test is the quickest answer.
If I cut tree-of-heaven, why does it come back thicker?
Cutting stimulates the root system to send up multiple new stems, sometimes a dozen or more from a single stump. Each grows rapidly, resulting in a bushier, more vigorous tree than before. It's the plant's way of responding to damage: pour stored energy into new shoots to rebuild leaf area as fast as possible. This is why cutting alone, repeated every year or two, is a cycle that favors the tree. You have to interrupt it with herbicide that reaches the roots.
Can I kill tree-of-heaven by spraying its leaves?
Foliage sprays of a systemic herbicide can kill leaves and small seedlings, but they don't reliably kill established trees. The herbicide needs to reach the root system to prevent regrowth. Foliage application works for young seedlings under a year old; for plants with established roots, cut-stump or hack-and-squirt application is far more reliable.
Is tree-of-heaven toxic to touch?
Normal handling during identification is safe, and you don't need gloves just to look at it. Some people get mild skin irritation from the foliage on warm days when the plant's oils are strongest. Wear gloves when applying herbicide to a fresh cut. The acrid smell is unpleasant but not a toxin.
The takeaway
Tree-of-heaven is here to stay in Central Ohio, but it doesn't have to spread unchecked. On your property, small trees can be knocked back in one growing season with cutting plus prompt herbicide on the stump. Large infestations are best handed to professionals. The key is understanding that cutting alone is not control, it's an invitation. Herbicide applied to a fresh cut is what stops the roots from recovering.