| Ailanthus altissima is a deciduous tree which can grow 40 to 60 feet tall. Spread is usually 2/3 the height. This is a weedy tree, very open, spreading and coarse textured, however it will grow almost anywhere. New foliage is purplish, darkening to green, no appreciable fall color. Large, oblong, malodorous leaves are composed of 30 ovate- to lance-shaped leaflets. Flowers appear in early summer, are yellow-green and borne on 8- to 16-inch panicles, mostly masked by the leaves. Late summer fruits are yellow to orange samaras, eventually turning brown, persisting into the winter. This tree withstands pollution more than almost any other tree and can be found growing out of the sidewalk in older parts of cities. It is not generally subject to pests but may contract Verticillium wilt. In general it is not a useful landscaping plant, but in tough urban conditions, it is almost indestructible. Several cultivars have been introduced. Native to China, naturalized in many areas of the U.S. |
