The Weedy Tree of Heaven in October

The Tree of Heaven Thrives Almost Anywhere

Not everyone considers it heavenly. It's not really an ugly tree. It just loves that God made it to bear seeds to reproduce itself and the Tree of Heaven does it with enthusiasm. A remarkable number of those seeds sprout and become new trees. Most of those trees aren't welcomed. They tend to move in and take over. If you try to chop down  or cut off a small tree, it will multiply even more by producing a multitude of suckers.

What you see above are just a few branches hanging over a shed in the Templeton Community Garden. I'm afraid if someone doesn't so something soon, there will be a forest of Trees of Heaven.  The babies are already popping up all over where they aren't wanted.

Here's an example. The fence you see below separates the Templeton Community Garden from the property around it. There is a majestic oak on the other side of that fence. Do you see what's growing under the oak and on both sides of it? Yep! That's a Tree of Heaven forest waiting to grow up. The Tree of Heaven seemingly can exist and grow without much sunlight, so the shade of the oak won't do much to thwart it. It hardly even needs soil.

The Tree of Heaven Is Far from Heavenly 

For one thing, it smells. That's right. The base of the leaves have oil-bearing glands. If you rub them, you probably won't like the odor. The flowers have the same "fragrance."

The tree is also destructive. It can grow from a crack in a sidewalk and destroy the foundations of buildings. It is so invasive that it threatens native plants and agricultural crops. The seedling below is very close to the raised bed where the tomatoes are growing.

Tree of Heaven Seedling in October,  © B. Radisavljevic

You don't want Tree of Heaven growing anywhere near your garden is because it has a toxin in its bark and leaves that will kill other plants around it. I wouldn't put the leaves in your compost pile.

These Videos Will Give You More Information

This video explains how to identify the Tree of Heaven, also known as ailanthus, Chinese sumac, and stinking sumac. It also suggests some ways of getting rid of even mature trees.



Here's how to kill this invasive tree.



Get the product used in the video above by clicking the ad below.



Are you an organic gardener? Here's an organic way to kill a Tree of Heaven. It just takes longer.



Get the product used in the video above by clicking the ad below.

What Does the Future Have in Store for This Raised Bed in the Community Garden?

We have seen how quickly Tree of Heaven can spread. We also know the toxins in its bark and leaves can kill surrounding plants. It would appear the Templeton Community Services District needs to pay more attention to the maintenance of this garden area. Not only does it play host to the Tree of Heaven, but we've seen in a previous post that poison oak is also growing just inside of its fence on the south side.

Tree of Heaven Seedling about to Invade Templeton Community Garden, © B. Radisavljevic

The tomatoes survived proximity to the seedlings this year. By next year the tree will be much taller if not controlled now.

For more information on The Tree of Heaven and how to control it, read what experts at Penn State University have to say. 


Have you encountered the Tree of Heaven on your property? If so, what have you done about it? Were you satisfied with the outcome?

My Experience Growing Tansy

I had always wanted to grow tansy because it was said to repel ants. I tried to grow it in Templeton in my herb garden, but the one plant I tried died. When I wanted to redo my Paso Robles front flower beds in June 2013, I managed to get a small tansy plant at the going-out-of-business sale at Fat Cat Farm. This photo shows that plant.

There were actually two plants in the same pot. I planted the smaller one at the very end of this pointed flower bed and the larger one on the other side of the Fruity Germander.

In the past, tansy was used medicinally, but it can be harmful, even fatal. Historically they used it to induce abortions. It can cause poisoning.

It has also been used to repel ants and many kinds of harmful garden beetles, but I've not personally found it very effective against ants. People have also used it in the kitchen as a culinary herb in small amounts, but, again, it can be toxic to ingest too much. I'm not chancing it.

My tansy first flowered a year after I planted it. It normally flowers from July to September. Mine has already stopped blooming this year. How long it blooms may depend on the temperature. This shows my tansy in bloom July 30, 2014. As you can see, some of the leaves are dying back.

This year the plants have had little water. This is how they looked on August 25, 2015. Last September the plants grew tall and then started to die back, leaving a lot of unattractive brown stems that needed to be cut way back. I'm waiting to see if that will also happen this year. I expect it will.

As you can see by following these photos, tansy can be an invasive plant. That's why many people restrain it by planting it in pots. I actually want it to be invasive because I prefer it to the weeds that would otherwise grow in the same place. Nature doesn't like bare ground.

Related articles

• The Life Stages of Lamb's Ears

One Lone Star Thistle

A Lone Star Thistle

One lone star thistle
On a bridge
With only the soil the wind blows in.

Star Thistle 

The bridge is on Vineyard Drive in Templeton and crosses the Salinas River. The yellow starthistle is one of California's most invasive and obnoxious weeds. It often chokes out native plants in the wild places of California. It loves drought. 

Horses that eat the yellow starthistle can become ill with "chewing disease." This disease is often fatal to horses who eat it since it affects their nervous systems. 

Click here for more information on controlling yellow starthistle and preventing its spread. Yellow starthistle is also spelled star thistle and star-thistle.  

Related articles

• 5 Invasive Plants Currently Messing Up California's Delta
• California Farmers See their Historically Shielded Water Rights Suspended
• U is for Under the Bridge