STUMPED! Please ID this Tree

jeremiahgl

I've gone through three books and searched the web for hours trying to figure this out. I'm clearing out some trees for a friend and want to use them for firewood. This was found 15 miles west of Frederick, MD. And was mixed in with Osage Orange, Red Oak, and Black Walnut. All trees in this area were fairly young, and the base of this was about 8" and the height was about 60'. The trunk was nice and straight. The bark was fairly thin, and the crosscut wood was light color, with no dark brown center like black walnut has. Thanks for your help. http://??????????.us/g/810/20111008145355913.jpg/

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Eden Keeper

It is a tree of heaven, Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle, which is a noxious weed that is banned in some states. Both the common and specific epithet refers to it getting tall while the weed status indicates that the former is a misnomer of even greater stature. There is a characteristic odor that many find disagreeable and crushing a fresh leaf is sufficiently diagnostic although it is most pronounced when male trees are in flower since the scent is detectable for some a distance. Note the oil glands where ever there is a tooth near the base of the blade on each leaflet; the oil can produce a sheen around the gland. Besides reproduction involving winged seed that can travel surprising distances suckers are often produced especially after cutting a tree. I've destroyed an isolated population that likely resulted from a seed carried aloft during the tornado super outbreak of 1974, while most of them I see are suckers that result from the removal of any trees that grew from seed blown along highways by traffic passing the occasionally planted specimens or a random isolated tree as previously described.

Brent Ferris

Tree-of-Heaven does have some redeeming qualities.
Besides growing fast, it generally thrives on neglect, useful in some situations, Tolerates drought, salt, compacted soils, and pollution quite well., Additionally it can grow to about 80-90 feet (in my experience) with creamy slightly yellow wood.
IF cut into lumber, can fool most people because it looks very much like ash without the same strength. But works well for showing - like panelling, or even flooring. The wood is more brittle than ash, and reasonably hard, and also turns well. The sap is an issue for some people.
As Eden Keeper has stated it regenerates well, and suckers well. I believe an industry could be started on poorer lands to grow forests of Tree-of-Heaven to supplement the Forest Products industry, especially since Emerald Ash Borer is devastating the Ash trees, The trees could be grown on a rotation of 50-70 years (shorter than Ash) and after harvesting, would not need to be replanted as they would sucker up on their own.

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