4 Effective Ways to Get Tree of Heaven Out of Your Garden

Look at the greenery growing along any highway, interstate, or expressway in the USA and you will see many stands of the same tree: Tree of Heaven. Tree of Heaven is a tree native to China that has become invasive in the United States. This tree can grow up to 80 feet tall and features attractive orange flowers, which are not flowers at all (see below), but once you encounter this specimen in your garden you realize just how ugly it really is.

First, the tree sends out root suckers whenever it is injured which means that once it gets to a certain size (sapling and larger) you can’t simply cut it down or pull it out because you will have a bunch more suckers popping up nearby and up to 50 feet away! Believe me, pulling or cutting one plant now will get you five more popping up next year, don’t ask me how I know…and don’t be tempted to pull out plants like the one below.

Second, Tree of Heaven is prolific at expanding its range. One mature female tree can produce upwards of 325,000 seeds! The seeds are bright orange as they develop giving the tree the appearance of having pretty orange flowers, but they are simply clusters of thousands of seeds waiting to drop! Even if you’re vigilant about removing seedlings on your property, you will eventually be invaded if there is a Tree of Heaven anywhere near your location. Did I mention the seeds are winged like maple seeds and are blown far and wide by the wind?

Third, Tree of Heaven is a host plant for another invasive species: the lanternfly. I don’t know about other parts of the USA but here in NY we have been dealing with lanternflies for several years now. These creepy, beady-eyed, roach-like insects have been a nuisance in every backyard and open space since they arrived in about 2021; worst of all, they have been destructive to fruit crops in the state (and even in my humble garden last year when they sucked all my grapes dry). Much has been said about removing these pests. When they first appeared, the public was urged to report sightings of them to the NYS Dept. of Agriculture. Then, as every park and backyard became infested, the public was urged to kill the lanternflies on sight. People started putting tape and bottle traps on their trees, and some even vacuumed the bugs off their plants. Of course, a good old fashion stomp was probably the technique used by most people though it was often ineffective since the creepy critters were able to jump away quickly. Surviving lanternflies would go on to lay clusters of 30-50 eggs that would overwinter and start the stressful cycle all over again the following year. These days lanternfly numbers seem to be declining in NY, but this invasive species is continuing its spread to other states and Canada, and lucky for them they have a seemingly infinite supply of their host plant Tree of Heaven.

So you know what Tree of Heaven looks like in different stages of growth and you know why it’s a baaaad plant, suddenly you start thinking about that the funky plant growing in your garden behind your shrubs…could it be a rogue Tree of Heaven sapling? Probably but don’t panic yet. There are four effective ways to deal with this awful tree: pull the seedlings, spray the leaves on saplings, spray the bark, and hack-and-squirt for larger trees.

A note to my anti-herbicide friends: it is true that herbicides and chemicals in general are overused in most gardens, and it is always a good idea to do things in a natural, eco-friendly way as much as possible, but when it comes to invasive species management herbicides are a very useful tool that eradicates the problem and prevents more problems down the line. If you never use herbicide, I commend you because I don’t either EXCEPT for nasty invasive plants like Tree of Heaven in which case it is in my best interest and in the interest of the environment around me to act swiftly and efficiently against it, and prevent it from spreading.

Seedlings: small seedlings can be pulled out as long as you get them at the root. You don’t want any piece of this infernal plant remaining in the soil. If you can’t seem to pull out a seedling, then it is most likely a root sucker and must be sprayed with herbicide.

Saplings: it’s tempting to pull them since they are so small but your best bet is to apply an effective foliar herbicide like Triclopyr. In my experience, Glyphosate (round up) is not effective on this plant. Luckily, big box stores like Home Depot and ACE carry Triclopyr products. Check with your local county extension or Mr. Google to find out when the best time is for application in your area. Here in NY and the Northeast, the best time is late summer to late fall when the tree is storing nutrients in its roots, but the plants can be sprayed at any time. Tip: use a large piece of cardboard to protect plants near the Tree of Heaven you are spraying because the herbicide will kill any other plant.

My lollipop method: spray a good amount of herbicide on the leaves and then cover the sapling top with small office bin bag. Secure the bag to the stem with a zip tie and leave it to wilt. This prevents leaves from dripping herbicide onto nearby plants and it also prevents insects from having contact with the sprayed plant. Bonus: the plants look like lollipops so you add some whimsy to your garden.

Trees with a trunk less than 6″ in diameter: spray concentrated basal bark herbicide like Triclopyr along the base of the trees. It is important to use a basal bark herbicide specifically because it has added ingredients to penetrate the bark that regular off-the-shelf herbicides do not contain.

Larger trees: make small cuts (2″ long) all along the trunk with a small hatchet or knife; the cuts must be deep enough to penetrate into the living tissue. Then, spray a concentrated herbicide into each cut being careful to fill each cut with a just a little bit of herbicide as if each cut were a little cup. Avoid overfilling each cut and letting the herbicide drip down messily because that could kill nearby plants. This method is known as hack-and-squirt and is effective for larger trees.

Cutting down a Tree of Heaven should be a last resort option but if that’s the only choice you have then treat the stump with concentrated herbicide immediately after cutting or within 10 minutes. Root suckers will likely still emerge and you will need to remain vigilant to prevent an infestation of these trees in the future.

Sources and More Information:

Tree of Heaven. Penn State Extension

Tree of Heaven. University of Maryland Extension

Using Hack and Squirt Herbicide Applications to Control Unwanted Trees. Penn State Extension

Spotted Lanternfly Egg Mass Scouting DIY. Virginia Dept. of Forestry