Tree of Heaven dilemma - Ask Extension
Hello,
We have a densly wooded area at the very back of our property that connects to a much larger woodland area. We now have a small grove of the,...
Knowledgebase
Tree of Heaven dilemma #947398
Asked October 20, 2026, 1:58 PM EDT
Hello,
We have a densly wooded area at the very back of our property that connects to a much larger woodland area. We now have a small grove of the, so-called, 'tree of heaven', growing in the wooded area on our property. We consulted with an arborist to discuss several tree issues, including the tree of heaven. We know that it is not native and very invasive and would like to protect the natural habitat. However, we have been told that the solution is to cut them down and then 'squirt' a Round-Up type chemical (which we know to be toxic and probably a carcinogen) into the stump and roots so that they won't sprout new trees. There happens to also be a creek which is downhill from these trees, that feeds into Bennett Creek and then the Monocacy River. We are also concerned that taking down the Tree of Heaven may disrupt the habitat of the birds we love. Can anyone give some advice on a solution that is least harmful to the environment?
Thank you!
Frederick County Maryland
Expert Response
Invasive plants like Tree-of-Heaven are already disrupting habitat by growing in our natural spaces, displacing native species that usually provide much more wildlife value than the invasive species does. Leaving invasive species standing also allows them to keep reproducing and spreading. When financially feasible, we recommend their removal. In my opinion, the short-term disruption of their removal is worth the long-term opportunity to restore the site with native species.
Yes, the most efficient and effective method to remove Tree-of-Heaven is to first treat it with herbicide to kill the roots, then have the tree cut down (about a month later, to give the application time to work). If that is not done, this species is known to sucker prolifically, where new sprouts will arise from the remaining roots and develop into a grove of new trees that are equally challenging to remove if someone is going to avoid herbicide.
Glyphosate is the active ingredient most often associated with the Roundup brand. (Currently, though, most if not all Roundup products use other ingredients. Active ingredients are always listed on the pesticide's label, which should be read thoroughly before use for any pesticide, regardless of how low- or high-risk it is.) How hazardous to human health glyphosate is versus Roundup (which is a specific formulation with other ingredients in addition to the glyphosate) is still being researched. We do not know if concerns over human exposure center around Roundup (the branded pesticide product) or glyphosate specifically, which is an important distinction. (People may refer to them interchangeably, but that is not accurate or scientifically specific enough. Roundup manufactures several pesticide formulations, several of which don't contain glyphosate, while not all glyphosate-containing herbicides are in the Roundup brand.)
While other brands can include glyphosate in their herbicide formulations, the reason that ingredient is widely used for invasive plant removal is because it poses a lower risk for off-site contamination. Glyphosate binds readily to soil and does not tend to leach into ground or surface water the way other herbicide ingredients can, so in that sense, it tends to stay where you apply it. Like many ingredients, it also degrades over time by way of either soil microbe action, UV light exposure, and/or exposure to moisture. Long-residual herbicides that take a long time to break down tend not to be available to the general public. When using herbicide to kill perennial (long-lived) invasive plants, a systemic ingredient is needed to be absorbed and moved into roots where it kills them so the plant cannot regrow.
The "hack-and-squirt" or cut-stump application of systemics like glyphosate use a very small amount of herbicide to treat the exposed wood immediately after the plant is cut for the application. With Tree-of-Heaven, the best approach to minimize herbicide use would be the hack-and-squirt method, because more herbicide is needed for the basal bark application method. The Penn State information for managing Tree-of-Heaven that our pages links to goes into more detail for each application method.
Any birds using Tree-of-Heaven are mainly using it as a temporary perch. We don't know which species, if any, nest in that tree, but since the plant doesn't host many insects, there is little food for birds to hunt for in its canopy, and we doubt many species (if any, as they are wind-dispersed seeds) consume Tree-of-Heaven seeds, which are only preset on female trees anyway. With those trees removed, the birds can roost or perch in other trees in the area.
Miri
Yes, the most efficient and effective method to remove Tree-of-Heaven is to first treat it with herbicide to kill the roots, then have the tree cut down (about a month later, to give the application time to work). If that is not done, this species is known to sucker prolifically, where new sprouts will arise from the remaining roots and develop into a grove of new trees that are equally challenging to remove if someone is going to avoid herbicide.
Glyphosate is the active ingredient most often associated with the Roundup brand. (Currently, though, most if not all Roundup products use other ingredients. Active ingredients are always listed on the pesticide's label, which should be read thoroughly before use for any pesticide, regardless of how low- or high-risk it is.) How hazardous to human health glyphosate is versus Roundup (which is a specific formulation with other ingredients in addition to the glyphosate) is still being researched. We do not know if concerns over human exposure center around Roundup (the branded pesticide product) or glyphosate specifically, which is an important distinction. (People may refer to them interchangeably, but that is not accurate or scientifically specific enough. Roundup manufactures several pesticide formulations, several of which don't contain glyphosate, while not all glyphosate-containing herbicides are in the Roundup brand.)
While other brands can include glyphosate in their herbicide formulations, the reason that ingredient is widely used for invasive plant removal is because it poses a lower risk for off-site contamination. Glyphosate binds readily to soil and does not tend to leach into ground or surface water the way other herbicide ingredients can, so in that sense, it tends to stay where you apply it. Like many ingredients, it also degrades over time by way of either soil microbe action, UV light exposure, and/or exposure to moisture. Long-residual herbicides that take a long time to break down tend not to be available to the general public. When using herbicide to kill perennial (long-lived) invasive plants, a systemic ingredient is needed to be absorbed and moved into roots where it kills them so the plant cannot regrow.
The "hack-and-squirt" or cut-stump application of systemics like glyphosate use a very small amount of herbicide to treat the exposed wood immediately after the plant is cut for the application. With Tree-of-Heaven, the best approach to minimize herbicide use would be the hack-and-squirt method, because more herbicide is needed for the basal bark application method. The Penn State information for managing Tree-of-Heaven that our pages links to goes into more detail for each application method.
Any birds using Tree-of-Heaven are mainly using it as a temporary perch. We don't know which species, if any, nest in that tree, but since the plant doesn't host many insects, there is little food for birds to hunt for in its canopy, and we doubt many species (if any, as they are wind-dispersed seeds) consume Tree-of-Heaven seeds, which are only preset on female trees anyway. With those trees removed, the birds can roost or perch in other trees in the area.
Miri
