Tree-of-heaven

Listed invasive in North Carolina (Rank 1, Severe Threat). Extracts containing ailanthone from roots and young trees inhibit germination and growth in laboratory studies. Ailanthus is a preferred spotted lanternfly host, but is not required to complete its life cycle..

Insect resources, birds and habitat

Bars show recorded counts on a linear scale. Each category runs from zero to its largest count in this NC plant catalog; the same scale applies across plant pages. Compare plants within a category, not bar lengths across categories. Zero records may mean missing research. Growth form is shown as text.

Fit for your county

Start with your county. Add conditions if you know them. No address needed; entries stay in this page and are not sent to Quercus.

Overwintering: no reviewed hardiness guidance loaded. Heat tolerance is not assessed.

How Fit works · Agent packet

• Vascular Plants of North Carolina, plant list export 2026-09-01 (LeGrand, Sorrie & Howard)
• NC Native Plant Society & NC Invasive Plant Council, NC Invasive Plants list, 2023-11-07
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Wetland Plant List 2022, Eastern Mountains & Piedmont
• USDA NRCS PLANTS Database
• Niinemets & Valladares 2006, Tolerance to shade, drought and waterlogging of temperate Northern Hemisphere trees and shrubs, Ecological Monographs (CC0 appendix)

Machine-readable: ailanthus-altissima.json. Cite as: Quercus Score v0.6.4, Ailanthus altissima, North Carolina, 2026-09-24.