100 Species #9: Tree of Heaven

[urbpan]

Tree of heaven Ailanthus altissimma

Before we even decided to move to this house, I noticed this small Ailanthus tree growing along the back wall. "That has to go, " I told Alexis "first thing." Ailanthus is my favorite urban tree. It's an aggressively invasive species, taking root in the poorest, thinnest soils. It masquerades as a nondescript weed at first, then spends the winter as a thin colorless twig. Before you know it, it's an established sapling tree, with robust roots tight gripping the pavement and building foundations. In the bleakest, most heavily paved parts of the city, it may be the largest tree around.


With great effort, we cut the roots of the tree about three inches below the surface. Later as we walked the dogs I told her "That tree is going to come back, you know."

"Yeah it is."



Ailanthus altissima has previously appeared numerous times in this journal. It was 365 Urban Species #266, grew through a radiator in the zoo, and appeared four times in the daily Urban Picture project.

Comments

[phlogiston-5.livejournal.com]

I am at the Eastern Branch meeting of the Entomological Society of America currently, and just heard a talk about a Verticillium fungus that has cropped up in a stand of Ailanthus in PA. Apparently this thing knocks them out in a couple of years. Pretty awesome (if it is species specific enough). Apparently it is native too so no quarantine studies necessary, and might even be vectored by a species of weevil that will be introduced soon to control Ailanthus.

[ursulav.livejournal.com]

Oh please, oh please, oh please...*burns offerings to the weevil gods*

[phlogiston-5.livejournal.com]

The researcher who gave the talk applied for the release permit and if all goes well it will be out and about by the end of the year. I have more hope for this random fungus though. I think the fungus also attacks some landscape trees (since it is native to the area it had to come from somewhere) but it is mostly soil-borne so its not likely to cause an epidemic (but can hitch a ride on the exoskeleton of the weevils under lab conditions - field not tested yet).