Buds: Rounded, up to ⅛ inch in diameter, smooth or a little hairy, brown.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with up to 41 leaflets; leaflets lanceolate, tapering to a long point at the tip, rounded at the base, up to 6 inches long, less than half as wide, smooth or somewhat hairy on both surfaces, often with some teeth along the edges. The leaves have an unpleasant odor when crushed.
Flowers: Some flowers with both stamens and pistils, others with one or the other, in large green or yellow clusters, each flower small, with 5 petals. The staminate flowers produce a very unpleasant odor. The flowers appear in June and July.
Fruit: Large clusters of winged seeds, yellow or orange, each fruit up to 2 inches long with one seed about in the middle.
Use: Tree-of-Heaven is grown as an ornamental, principally in urban areas where it is able to withstand considerable smoke and smog.
Habitat: Disturbed woods; readily adapts to urban conditions.
Range: Native of Asia; frequently planted in the United States and readily spreading from cultivation.
Distinguishing Features: The pinnately compound leaves with up to 41 leaflets, unpleasantly scented when crushed, make this a readily recognizable species.
