Get Rid of Tree-of-Heaven
WITHOUT Herbicides

Among the many invasive plants I discovered in our little section of forest was tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima), a particularly aggressive and persistent non-native tree that loves to crowd out its neighbors.

Research revealed the widely accepted recommendation to treat it chemically in late summer or early fall when as part of its preparation for hibernation over the winter, it will send the herbicide down into its roots and kill itself in the process.

According to accepted wisdom, only after the tree is dead is it safe to chop it down. Cutting it when it is still alive will result in copious shoots of regrowth and make the situation worse, some say impossible.

As Murphy’s Law dictates, I discovered this AFTER having a large tree-of-heaven chopped down when it was still very much alive. Being somewhat averse to chemicals in general, I decided to test this conventional wisdom and see if my quest to rid our property of these stubborn trees really was doomed.

Periodically, I returned to the area and snapped off the myriad of shoots that had sprouted on the stump and pulled all the new growth that had erupted nearby, of which there was indeed a lot. I even cut down four more trees I discovered and began pulling the regrowth around them.

I’ll admit there were times when I thought I would be doing this for the rest of my life. But after three seasons of periodic pulling, that first tree has finally died. No growth on its truncated trunk. No shoots anywhere around it.

Not going the herbicide route might take longer and will require more follow-up but it is absolutely possible and manageable. And the benefit? No risk of harm to soil, native plants, wildlife, or humans.

Here’s a video with more details: