Götterbaum

Landscape Uses:Pest tolerant, Aggressive surface roots possible. A very tough and easily grown tree, succeeding under most conditions, the Tree of Heaven is resistant to most diseases and is also reported to be tolerant of alkalinity, drought, frost, heat, high pH, hydrogen fluoride, low pH, pollution, SO2, poor, dry or wet soils, heavily polluted soils and industrial pollution. The plant prefers a light moist soil and a sheltered position. Prefers a position in full sun or partial shade. The tree is estimated to tolerate an annual precipitation of 30 to 250cm (tolerating a dry season up to 8 months), an annual average temperature of 10° to 20°C, and a pH of 5.5 to 8.0. Growing on the smallest of city plots and rubbish heaps, this species obviously can tolerate a wide array of soils, from acid to alkaline, sand to light clay, well-drained to swampy, poor to rich. It is said to do poorly on chalky soils or compact clay. Plants are hardy to at least -15°c. A very ornamental tree, it has a somewhat tropical appearance and is fast growing when young, though it is rather short-lived. The trees send up suckers freely and soon form dense thickets. The plant has become a noxious weed in parts of Australia and is rather weed-like in many other countries. The roots are rather aggressive and can cause damage to drainage systems. The plants thrive even when growing in very polluted cities and so have been used as street trees and as shade-trees in parks, they do not do well in the north of Britain, however. Male flowers are malodorous and have potentially allergenic pollen. The crushed leaves are also malodorous. The large leaves have glandular teeth near their base and these release a pungent aroma when pressed. The disagreeable odour of the plant may cause some people to feel sleepy. This tree is occasionally cultivated for its wood. This is brittle however, and branches are very liable to break off in the wind. Trees coppice readily. The leaves were once used as a food for silkworms, but were found to be unsuitable. This species is notably resistant to honey fungus. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. Special Features:Not North American native, Invasive, Attractive flowers or blooms.

Edible Parts: Leaves Edible Uses: Leaves - cooked. Used as an emergency food in times of scarcity, they have an offensive odour. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Dye Hedge Hedge Herbicide Insecticide Repellent Soil reclamation Soil stabilization Tannin Wood A yellow dye is obtained from the leaves. The leaves contain 12% tannin, quercetin, as well as isoquercetin, and the alkaloid linuthine. The leaves and wood are high in cellulose and are used in paper-making. The crushed leaves and flowers are insect-repellent. The plant parts, when steeped in water, are said to yield an insecticidal solution. An aqueous extract of the leaves contains a substance that is toxic to other tree seedlings. When plants are put into marshy areas they drain the soil and thereby remove mosquito breeding sites. The plants have extensive root systems and sucker freely, they can be used in soil-stabilization programmes. Since the plant is tolerant of soil pollution it can also be used in land reclamation schemes on old mine tips etc. Plants can be grown as a tall hedge. Wood - fairly hard, heavy, difficult to split, not durable, coarse grained. Though little used, except in poorer countries, the wood is suitable for cabinetry, cellulose manufacture, furniture, lumber, pulp, and woodwork. It is difficult to split but easy to work and polish. The wood is also used locally for charcoal and firewood. Yields of 20 cubic metres per hectare is possible for this light wood.

Heimisch: China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Inner Mongolia, Manchuria Eingeführt: Afghanistan, Alabama, Albania, Algeria, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Arizona, Arkansas, Assam, Austria, Azores, Belgium, British Columbia, Bulgaria, California, Canary Is., Cape Provinces, Chile Central, Colorado, Connecticut, Corse, Cyprus, Czechia-Slovakia, Delaware, District of Columbia, East Aegean Is., Florida, France, Free State, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hawaii, Hungary, Idaho, Illinois, India, Indiana, Iowa, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kansas, Kentucky, Korea, Kriti, Krym, KwaZulu-Natal, Lebanon-Syria, Lesotho, Libya, Louisiana, Madeira, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mexico Northeast, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Morocco, NW. Balkan Pen., Nansei-shoto, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, New Zealand North, New Zealand South, North Carolina, Northern Provinces, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pakistan, Palestine, Pennsylvania, Poland, Portugal, Québec, Rhode I., Romania, Sardegna, Sicilia, South Carolina