A Horrible Tree

Also known as the Tree of Heaven or Stinking Sumac, Chinese Sumac is a highly undesirable tree as it spreads like crazy and is difficult to get rid of. If you cut down the tree, it will send up several more trees from the roots including some a good distance away from the original tree. The “tree of heaven” nickname is difficult for me to understand, as this tree is anything but. Stinking Sumac, however, is an appropriate title for this tree.

Chinese Sumac

Identifying Chinese Sumac

Tearing the twigs and leaves of this tree gives off a slightly unpleasant odor, hence the stinking sumac nickname for this tree.

Fall is an excellent time to id the tree because its leaves barely turn yellow before dropping early in fall. This leaf characteristic makes it easy to distinguish this invasive tree from our more colorful native sumacs.

Killing the Chinese Sumac

I’m not sure yet of the best way to kill it. I believe a product like Ortho Brush-B-Gon Poison will do the trick. However, I’m not sure whether spraying the leaves is best or perhaps cutting or gashing the trunk before spraying is best. Please let me know in the comments if you have experiences and/or recommendations to share.

Here’s a photo I took last fall of a sumac tree growing along a powerline cut. There are several different types of sumac trees; I believe this one may be a dwarf sumac. They are considered to be weedy trees by some people, but they provide some nice red fall color.

Sumac Fall Color