Is a tree-of-heaven a good tree to plant in Indiana?
Think hard about it — tree-of-heaven is on the hazard list in central Indiana. Widespread across central Indiana along alleys, railroad corridors, fencerows and neglected lot edges, and it colonizes disturbed subdivision ground fast. Indiana DNR has treated over a thousand tree-of-heaven with insecticide as part of its spotted lanternfly response, which makes a standing ailanthus a live regional pest concern rather than merely a nuisance tree.
What you'd be signing up to clean up
Constant twig, seedpod and small-limb litter year round, with female trees dropping dense clusters of papery seeds that blanket gutters and beds and germinate essentially everywhere they land. Broken stems and crushed foliage give off a strong rancid, peanut-like odor that homeowners consistently describe unprompted — it is a reliable field ID.
Where to keep it away from
The root system is the entire problem: it suckers aggressively from lateral roots, throwing new stems up dozens of feet from the parent through lawns, drive cracks, foundation seams and fence lines. Damaging those roots by trenching or grading triggers still more suckering, so a partial excavation leaves the homeowner worse off than doing nothing at all.
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