(6) Tree of Heaven
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The Tree of Heaven can be found at the top of the main promenade up through the gardens; this main promenade following the alignment with Twerton Roundhill’s bronze age burial mound on the horizon, the view of which is obscured by the trees from the top of the gardens.
The Tree of Heaven stands beside the Loggia (old Pavilion), an original Georgian Building. The Loggia was designed with ‘dinner boxes’; sheltered areas which extended to both sides of the central bowed columned structure, each column topped with a stone carved cherub. Over time the Loggia fell into dis-repair, around 1938 Bath council refurbished the structure and removed both ‘wings’ leaving the structure in its reduced form seen today.
The Tree of Heaven, first introduced into Britain in 1751, is an exotic tree from China where the given name ‘chouchun’ translates as ‘foul-smelling tree’. In China the tree is planted to host the Ailanthus silkworm moth, for production of Shantung Silk. Additionally, the tree is widely used in Chinese medicine for such diverse ailments as mental health and baldness.
The Tree of Heaven has male and female trees (dioecious) and is fast growing: 2m per year, but generally only live for 50-70 years, although some have been recorded over 100 years old. The bark is grey in colour and smooth when young but develops shallow fissures with age which form in a snake like pattern.
The leaves can be 30-90cm in length and have 10-41 leaflets; each 5-18cm long, organised in pairs along the stem. In the spring the leaves appear as bronze in colour, then quickly turn dark green as they mature.
The flowers appear in large clusters; up to 50cm long, from mid-April to July. The individual flowers are small, yellowish green to reddish in colour. The flower of the male trees emit a foul-smelling odour, described as rancid peanuts, to attract pollinators.
The tree of heaven sends out many suckers which can rapidly colonising a large area making it difficult to control. Additionally, the tree produces chemicals to inhibit the growth of the
surrounding plants. This had led to the tree being listed on the top 25 invasive species by the European Plant Protection Organisation. This species is now regarded as a pest and commonly referred to between gardeners and conservationists as the ‘Tree of Hell’!
The flowers appear in large clusters; up to 50cm long, from mid-April to July. The individual flowers are small, yellowish green to reddish in colour. The flower of the male trees emit a foul-smelling odour, described as rancid peanuts, to attract pollinators.
The tree of heaven sends out many suckers which can rapidly colonising a large area making it difficult to control. Additionally, the tree produces chemicals to inhibit the growth of the
surrounding plants. This had led to the tree being listed on the top 25 invasive species by the European Plant Protection Organisation. This species is now regarded as a pest and commonly referred to between gardeners and conservationists as the ‘Tree of Hell’!
Reference
Gazzard, G. A. MSc (2021) wrote the above article with information from the following sources.
Rose, B. BSc (Hons) MSc DipArb(RFS) MICFor RCArborA Chartered Arboriculturist Arboricultural Association Registered Consultant (2020). Bosky Trees, Arboricultural Impact Assessment & Tree Protection Plan for trees atSydney Gardens, Bath. (Accessed 13/03/21).
White, R. S. PhD (2020). Sydney Gardens: a self-guided walking tour reflecting on botany, empire, reluctant heritage and deep time. (Accessed 13/03/13). Available at:
https://medium.com/sydney-gardens-bath/sydney-gardens-a-reluctant-heritage-a-walking-tour-reflecting-on-botany-empire-and-deep-time-789d71c0c288
The Nature Conservancy. (Accessed 13/03/13). Available at:
https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/indiana/stories-in-indiana/journey-with-nature--tree-of-heaven/
Wikipedia, Ailanthus altissima. (Accessed 13/03/13). Available at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ailanthus_altissima