tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima / Ailanthus glandulosa)
invasive & noxious weed
pictures taken in september
this fast-growing tree is native to china, korea, and taiwan but is found on every continent besides antarctica! it enjoyed some popularity as an ornamental plant in various places, but quickly and easily escaped cultivation to spread wherever it pleased. it can and will grow anywhere, forming dense stands. since it's found everywhere and has been a part of human culture for thousands of years, it has a lot of alternate names!
one thing you should know about tree of heaven right off the bat is that it fucking stinks. one of its alternative common names is "stink tree," which is appropriate. it's a hard to describe smell; the most common descriptor i see is "rancid peanut butter", but you also see comparisons to cat urine and a bunch of other gross stuff. it's quite acrid and smokelike, but in a disgusting way; rotting burnt popcorn mixed with tobacco, maybe. even just brushing against the leaves will leave the smell lingering on you, it wafts off the plant very easily. i'm surprised this ever took off as an ornamental plant because the smell is really bad!!
tree of heaven is very hard to get rid of once it's established. when the trunk is damaged, it responds by sending up a lot of new sprouts and growing its roots further! you need to apply herbicides multiple years in a row to kill it, and ideally you apply herbicide without cutting it (since that'll make it grow more.) every part of the plant apparently produces chemicals which inhibit the growth of other plants - that's the "noxious" part of the noxious weed classification - which is especially a problem with its large root networks.
even more irritating - tree of heaven is the main host plant for the invasive spotted lanternfly! they love trees of heaven the most.
apparently tree of heaven is used in traditional chinese medicine - its roots, bark, and leaves - and it is also host for a type of silkworm.
also, this tree is featured in the famous novel a tree grows in brooklyn. i haven't read it, but it seemed worth mentioning.