The dreaded "Tree of Heaven" can be host to the invasive species, the spotted lanternfly. Help map these highly invasive trees.
Have you seen this tree??!
This is the highly invasive tree known as “Tree of Heaven”.
As part of Oregon Invasive Weed Awareness Week, the Oregon Department of Agriculture's (ODA) Noxious Weed, and Insect Pest Prevention and Management programs are kicking off a six-month statewide tally of invasive tree-of-heaven locations thanks to funding from the U.S. Forest Service.
Anyone interested in helping with the tally can join the iNaturalist project
There is an iNaturalist mobile app available that makes it easy to capture tree-of-heaven locations. Participants will be able to follow the progress of the tally on the project page, including the leaders in numbers of observations.
Tree-of-heaven is a noxious weed that is a key host to the invasive spotted lanternfly, an insect which has not been found alive in Oregon, but has the potential to cause significant damage to economically and ecologically important plants including grapevines, and maple, black walnut, birch, and willow trees.
Key identifying features to tree-of-heaven are:
Large leaves with smaller pointed leaflets that have small “lobes” at the base with small raised glands on back.
The distinctive smell which some describe as rancid peanut butter.
And, the heart-shaped scars left behind when the large leaf stems fall from the trunk.
ODA’s insect trappers also will be looking for the tree while crisscrossing the state to place and check traps that help monitor for many types of invasive insects.
After the census wraps up in October, the information gathered will be used to help monitor for spotted lanternfly, and possibly target key areas for control of the plant that are at high risk for damage should the insect be detected in Oregon.