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Identification guide

Tree of Heaven Bark: How to Identify It in Winter

Tree of heaven bark is pale gray and even, with no deep furrows. In winter, the stout twig, heart-shaped leaf scar and spongy pith settle it.

By WildScope Editorial Desk

Published Last reviewed

Tree of heaven bark is pale gray and fairly even, with no deep furrows. On young trunks it is smooth and brownish-green, like the skin of a cantaloupe. Bark alone can be misleading in winter, so use the twig as the tiebreaker: stout, alternate, no terminal bud, a large heart-shaped leaf scar, and a spongy brown center.

Bark at three ages: seedling, young and mature

Age What the bark looks like Source
Seedling or root sucker Thin green stem when young; in winter, use the twig marks below, because the bark is not distinct yet University of Maryland Extension; Penn State Extension
Young trunk Smooth, brownish-green, later light brown to gray; the surface resembles cantaloupe skin Penn State Extension
Mature trunk Pale gray, relatively even, with no deep fissures; prominent pale speckles called lenticels University of Maryland Extension

The cantaloupe comparison is the one to remember. A mature tree of heaven does not develop the dark, diamond-patterned bark of an old black walnut. It stays comparatively smooth.

That does not mean the bark is featureless. The pale lenticels show up as coarse speckles on the gray surface. They are one more clue, not a final answer.

The winter twig test

Bark can look different in rain, snow, or low light. The twig is more reliable.

  1. Are the twigs alternate? Tree of heaven buds and leaves are alternate, not paired across from each other.
  2. Is there a terminal bud? Tree of heaven lacks one at the tip. Penn State Extension lists this as a key mark.
  3. What shape is the leaf scar? It is large and V- or heart-shaped. This is where last year’s leaf was attached.
  4. What is inside the twig? Cut it. Tree of heaven has a large, spongy brown center, or pith.
  5. Is the twig stout? Tree of heaven twigs are thick for their size, greenish to brown, and easy to snap.

If you have a leaf scar that looks like a narrow heart and no terminal bud, you are probably looking at tree of heaven. If the leaf scar has three lobes and looks like a monkey’s face, you are looking at black walnut.

Leafless look-alikes

Tree Bark in winter Twig and bud marks Pith
Tree of heaven Pale gray, even, no deep fissures; cantaloupe-like when young Alternate; no terminal bud; large heart- or V-shaped leaf scar; stout Spongy brown
Staghorn sumac Fuzzy for several years, then gray-brown and smooth; many horizontal lenticels Stout brown twigs covered with fuzz, like deer antlers Brown and spongy, like tree of heaven
Black walnut Dark brown with a rough diamond-shaped pattern Terminal bud present; three-lobed leaf scar said to look like a monkey’s face Chambered
White ash Not a reliable bark key here; use the twig Opposite leaves and buds; leaf scar half-round with a V-shaped notch; paddle-shaped samara often persists into winter Not used here

Two warnings from this table:

  • Do not use pith alone to rule out sumac. Staghorn sumac also has brown, spongy pith. The bark, the fuzzy twigs, and the leaf scar are the better separators.
  • Do not cut a native thinking it is tree of heaven. Sumac and black walnut are native. The sumac vs tree of heaven comparison goes deeper on the pair.

White ash is included because it is a common leafless confusion in the East. Ash branches and buds are opposite; tree of heaven is alternate. That single check is faster than comparing bark photos.

Suckers and seedlings in January

In winter, tree of heaven can show up as a cluster of young stems rather than a single trunk.

Penn State Extension says established trees spread by root suckers that may emerge as far as 50 feet from the parent tree. A cut or injured tree may send up dozens of stump and root sprouts. Sprouts as young as two years can produce seed.

That matters for identification. A cluster of similar young stems in a lawn or fence line may be one tree’s root system, not many separate seedlings. Penn State Extension notes that hand-pulling young seedlings works when the soil is moist and the whole root system comes out, but root suckers are nearly impossible to pull by hand.

The Maryland source adds that seedlings have few leaflets and can be hard to distinguish from other species. When crushed, they still have the characteristic unpleasant scent. In winter there are no leaves to crush, so use the twig marks and the position of the stems.

Is there anything worth doing now?

Winter is a good time to identify and plan. It is a poor time to cut and walk away.

Penn State Extension is blunt: mechanical methods such as cutting or mowing are ineffective, because the tree responds by producing large numbers of stump sprouts and root suckers. If you cut a tree of heaven without treating it, you may get a thicker patch next spring.

The treatment window is mid- to late summer, from about July 1 to the onset of fall color, when the tree is moving carbohydrates to its roots. If a tree must be cut now for safety, Penn State Extension advises treating it first with an herbicide, waiting about 30 days for symptoms to develop, and then cutting. The Maryland source gives the same waiting period.

This page does not give herbicide rates or a prescription. Read and follow the product label; the label is the law.

What to do with the identification

The decision in winter is not “cut it now.” It is “name it now, then treat it in the right season.”

Sources

Facts on this page were checked against the sources below. Each link shows the date the source was accessed.

  1. Tree-of-Heaven — Penn State Extension Accessed November 3, 2026
  2. Tree-of-Heaven — University of Maryland Extension Accessed November 3, 2026
  3. Tree-of-Heaven: Native Look-Alikes — Penn State Extension Accessed November 3, 2026
  4. White Ash — Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Accessed November 3, 2026

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