My Mistake

[++]

It was NOT the pawlonia, a wonderful tree from, obviously, Poland that is a dangerous invader but the Tree of Heaven (different oriental related idea in my brain?)

Tree of Heaven

*/Ailanthus altissima /* Tree that spreads clonally over large areas, will freely seed, very difficult to control

This tree is from China.

Wiki:

The article had a little substance about the contact dermatitus which I only know from hearsay from woodworkers who tried to work the stuff. If it is true that poson ivy is becoming stronger up to 7x from global warming in my locale, perhaps this northern Chinese invader is also becoming stronger in contact dermatitus from invading in cities and other pollution prone areas?

[Michael Bulatovich]

The Pawlonia is listed as an invasive species, and is banned in one of the states of the north-east. I learned that from this thread.

The Ailanthus, which we call "Stinky Tree", is a scourge in the cities. I yank up several shoots every year, wherever I think I can get away with it, but there's a 40-footer not 200 feet from here. My neighbor did us all a favor and cut down a 50-footer on her property a couple years ago. Ever see the roots on those things? You'd understand how they establish themselves in a simple crack in the asphalt if you did.

[++]

I lived in Baltimore City for 9 years a little over a decade ago. It was a scourge there, and very difficult to get up. I spent a lot of time trying to grow Victorian garden type plants without chemicals and to show my neighbors how to accomplish this, some plants of which I got locally from famlies of many generations. My garden was in back of a

1868 townhouse and I STILL regret not bringing some of the seeds which I left for the new owner, with me, for a particular kind of black mustard and an unusual range of coreopsis. I had rose varieties no longer seen. There had been several generations of Lithuanians inhabiting the house from the turn of hte 20th c. who had planted some interesting unique radishes....I had two dwarf pears....the neighbor two over had a couple of plums...

:( (missing hte old garden plants and walkways......)

[EDS]

When we lived in The South End of Boston, we had 2 of these guys in our back yard, one about 60' and the other about 50'. Because the light was restricted, they did not branch out for about 25'. I liked them because they were tough and good but stinky shade trees. I had a client on Beacon Hill in

1981 who roofed her 15'x15' rear garden with glass, but her 50' tree of heaven went through the roof. We flashed up the tree with EPDM and a giant adjustable hose clamp. About 5 years ago she called because she had not loosened the clamp and the tree had broken it while developing a waist. The tree had a watering system for the roots. That was an interesting and fun job. EDS

[Michael Bulatovich]

Sounds like it, but all that for a Stinky Tree?

[EDS]

She liked her tree. She said that her daddy had loved trees, he was an executive for Weirhouser(sp?) Lumber ;-) The glass roof had panels that were operating, but closed automatically when rain fell or the temperature dropped below 55 degrees. The whole job was done from the 32" wide alley, as she would not allow "tramping through the house". The street in front of the house was only 10' wide anyway. Nice lady, but a bit spacey. EDS