Tree of Heaven vs Sumac: How to Tell Them Apart

Check the leaflet edge first. Staghorn and smooth sumac have leaflets toothed along the whole edge and tight clusters of small red berries. Tree of heaven has leaflets that are smooth along most of the edge, with a small gland at the base, and its seeds are papery wings. A smooth edge apart from the basal gland means the invasive tree. Teeth along the whole edge mean the native sumac.

The 60-second field test

1. Turn one leaflet over and look at its base. Tree of heaven has one or two small, raised glands where the leaflet joins the stem. Sumac does not.
2. Run a thumbnail along the edge. Sumac feels like a fine saw. Tree of heaven feels smooth for most of its length.
3. Look for fruit. Sumac holds tight, upright clusters of red, hairy berries. Tree of heaven hangs loose clusters of twisted, papery seeds that often stay on the tree through winter.
4. Crush one leaflet, away from your face. Tree of heaven has a strong, unpleasant odor. Sumac does not.

Do not identify either tree by taste. Tree of heaven is not edible, and the smell test is enough.

Leaves: why the gland settles it

The glandular teeth are the character that separates tree of heaven from every native tree with compound leaves in the same place. Penn State Extension describes one or two protruding bumps at the base of each leaflet, with leaflet edges otherwise smooth. The native lookalikes — staghorn sumac, smooth sumac, black walnut and hickory — all have teeth along the leaflet edge instead.

Red berries or winged seeds

This is the second half of the test, and it works in winter after the leaves are gone. Sumac fruit is a dense cluster of small red drupes. Staghorn sumac’s cluster is fuzzy; smooth sumac’s is covered in sticky red hairs. Tree of heaven fruit is a samara: a flat, twisted seed with a papery wing, hanging in a loose cluster.

What about black walnut and ash?

Black walnut has 15 to 23 finely serrated leaflets and produces round nuts in green husks. Tree of heaven has 10 to 40 smooth-edged leaflets and winged seeds. Ash is different again: its leaves are arranged in opposite pairs along the twig, while tree of heaven’s leaves alternate. If the leaf arrangement is opposite, you are not looking at tree of heaven.

Which one is native?

Staghorn and smooth sumac are native to North America. They spread by root suckers and can look weedy, but they are not tree of heaven and they should not be cut as if they were.

Tree of heaven is native to China. It was introduced to the United States in the late 1700s as an ornamental, and it is now reported as invasive in 30 states. It crowds out native plants and can damage pavement and building foundations in urban areas.

What to do about it

If the tree is sumac, leave it alone. If it is tree of heaven, do not cut it first. Cutting without treatment triggers stump sprouts and root suckers, and the tree often comes back thicker. Penn State Extension recommends treating the tree first and waiting about 30 days before cutting when removal is necessary.

If you use an herbicide, Penn State Extension names glyphosate and triclopyr as active ingredients with little soil activity. That is not a recommendation for your situation, and it is not a rate. Follow the product label; the label is the law. For the full sequence, see how to remove tree of heaven and tree of heaven bark in winter.

For the species profile, start with tree of heaven. For the other pairs in this set, see look-alikes. For native and invasive plants by category, see plants.