dirt

Beauty or Beast

The Beauty and the Beast is a wonderful story and a great story for all time. Unfortunately, sometimes beauty can be deceiving. If you take a look and learn about the Spotted Lanternfly and the Tree of Heaven, you will see why. As far as plants or bugs go, these two are nice looking (yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder). Unfortunately, both are truly beasts!

I was impressed when I first spotted a Tree of Heaven growing in my son's backyard. It is a nice looking, leafy tree and healthy trees provide a myriad of benefits. When I noticed how quickly the tree was growing, a bit of research explained why. It was none other than the nefarious Tree of Heaven. Despite being cut down, new saplings continue to sprout all over the yard. Yikes, that's what you call real invasive!!!

The Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is a deciduous tree native to northeast and central China and Taiwan. The United Starts Department of Agriculture considers it a noxious weed and a vigorous invasive species—one of the worst invasive plant species in North America. The tree grows rapidly and reach heights of 50 feet in 25 years. Plus, its suckering ability makes it possible for this tree to clone itself indefinitely. This fast-growing tree with a wide-spread crown has multiple branches and long, compound leaves (between 11 and 31 leaflets per leaf) that are dark green above and pale green below. It flowers as well.

The tree is used for medicinal purposes in China. However, according to The Nature Conservancy, the Tree of Heaven crowds out native species and secretes a chemical into the soil that is toxic to surrounding plants. Its aggressive root system can cause damage to pavement, sewers and building foundations. Controlling the tree can be done by cutting, burning, and using herbicides, but trust me, eradicating this beast will be an ongoing challenge. Read on for more information on how to kill tree of heaven plants.

The other “beauty” I am referring to is the Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula). It too is native to China. And guess what? It loves the Tree of Heaven. Spotted Lantern Fly was first detected in Pennsylvania in September 2014. It feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental and woody trees, and Tree-of-Heaven is one of its preferred hosts.

Spotted lanternflies are invasive and can be spread long distances by people who move infested material or items containing egg masses. If allowed to spread in the United States, this pest has serious potential to wreak economic havoc—especially impacting the country’s grape, orchard, and logging industries.

These insects are hitch hikers and the USDA is urging business, especially transport companies to help spot the eggs and insects and report them year-round. When young, the Spotted Lantern Fly is black with spots. As they mature, they become redder and grow to about one inch long. You can find them clustered on the trunks of trees.

The best defense is a good offense, so if you spot the lantern flies, please report to the Ohio Department of Agriculture at 614-726-6400 and learn how you may be able to help to collect and destroy these beasts. You can also report locations through this site.

To learn more, check out this program on Friday, November 13 at 10 a.m.-Noon: or view this video.

-Blog author: Janine Rybka, Director

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