What animal eats tree-of-heaven?
Tree-of-heaven is an invasive tree species found in much of the United States. The spotted lanternfly, a non-native, invasive, and destructive insect new to the United States, prefers tree-of-heaven as a food source.
The two most common herbicides used on tree- of-heaven with the foliar spray approach are glyphosate and triclopyr. These systemic herbicides are absorbed through leaves and stems and then transported to the root system.
Tree-of-heaven grows faster than native plant associates. This species, being shade intolerant, requires its top portion or crown to be in sunny exposures for adequate and fast growth. The shadier the area becomes over time, the more its growth rate declines.
Adults can be found on tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), an invasive plant. In the fall in Pennsylvania, adult spotted lanternfly prefer to feed and mate on tree of heaven when compared to other host plants.
People have asked if there are any natural enemies of the spotted lanternfly. Birds don't seem to like to eat them, and researchers have not yet found predatory or parasitic insects that are having a great impact on reducing the population.
Tree-of-heaven contains chemicals that make spotted lanternflies bad-tasting and inedible–giving them natural protection from predators that would eat them.
Then during the off-season, the trees can be cut & removed from mid-November thru April (Figure 1). (Fig. 1) The cutting & removal of this cluster of tree-of-heaven trees should only be done in the winter if herbicide treatments were applied during the late summer or fall seasons.
Tree of heaven is a plant. The dried bark from the trunk and root are sometimes used in folk medicine. Tree of heaven is used for diarrhea, asthma, cramps, epilepsy, fast heart rate, gonorrhea, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Trees with wilt will have a yellow to yellow-brown discoloration of the wood directly beneath the bark. Healthy tree-of-heaven will have nearly white wood under the bark. The mortality will almost always be groups of trees, not scattered individuals.
Glyphosate is popular because it's effective and relatively easy to use. You'll need to mix the glyphosate with water according to the directions on the package and then apply it to the tree's leaves. The tree will take up the glyphosate and kill it over time. What is this?
Is tree of heaven toxic to animals?
The roots of Tree of Heaven can readily damage sewer systems and foundations; the leaves are toxic to domestic animals, and contact with the sap may produce skin rashes.
The tree grows rapidly, and is capable of reaching heights of 15 metres (49 ft) in 25 years. While the species rarely lives more than 50 years, some specimens exceed 100 years of age.

The roots of Tree of Heaven can readily damage sewer systems and foundations; the leaves are toxic to domestic animals, and contact with the sap may produce skin rashes. How…“heavenly.”
Tree of heaven is a plant. The dried bark from the trunk and root are sometimes used in folk medicine. Tree of heaven is used for diarrhea, asthma, cramps, epilepsy, fast heart rate, gonorrhea, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
To control tree-of-heaven, target the roots with systemic herbicides applied in mid- to late summer (July to onset of fall color) when the tree is moving carbohydrates to the roots. Herbicide applications made outside this late growing season window will only injure aboveground growth.
Also called Chinese sumac, the tree of heaven is attractive to pollinators, further ensuring its spread. It releases a toxic chemical into the soil that harms other plants, rodents and microbes.
It burns sort of like ash or tulip poplar, but a little hotter (btu levels similar to sugar maple, hickory, and red oak). It does leave a lot of ashes, and won't keep for more than six months. But it doesn't emit any fowl odors with the smoke and it splits like a dream.
The tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is a rapidly growing deciduous tree native to China that has become a widespread invasive species across North America.