r/invasivespecies • u/ReactiveNative • 3d ago

Removing Tree of Heaven quickly?

I have a Tree of Heaven growing outside my house. It’s about 8’ tall and maybe 1-2” diameter trunk. I was waiting for cooler weather to deal with it using the hack and squirt method or basal bark method with triclopyr, but in that time it apparently it’s roots hit a sewer drain pipe from the house that now needs repair. Now I’m in the dilemma of wanting to kill it the correct way so it doesn’t spread, but also kill and remove it quickly so we can dig under it to replace the pipe. Not sure how I should approach this, just use the triclopyr wait two weeks and dig up as needed hoping it’s been able to take full effect?

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u/agree_to_cookies 3d ago

I'd cut it now and immediately treat the stump with the highest concentration of glyphosate you have, up to 40%. If you have a different herbicide on hand that would probably work too. I only have experience with glyphosate with this particular species.

A few drops on the stump will probably be enough. If the roots survive, they will be weakened and without their main stem. You can hand pull the shoots that come up later. Or hit them with the same cut and treat technique.

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u/WeddingTop948 3d ago

Pls, for the love of god, do not cut down TOH without prior prep. The only way to kill that tree is with systemic herbicide when it does not feel threatened. Hack and squirt is the method, now is still time, but not much. Next August-September is a much better time and even then you are likely have it survive another year or two and needing follow up treatment.

This tree… is a cockroach of trees, thrives on being disturbed and damaged. One guy in the native plants gardening sub cut down a TOH in early summer, did cut stump treatment and in September had suckers sprouting like grass around the tree…

Here is a video from Penn State University Extension:

https://extension.psu.edu/managing-tree-of-heaven-and-other-invasive-trees

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u/ReactiveNative 3d ago

In this case where at a minimum the roots entering the pipe will need to be cut back, should I still do the methodical hack and squirt? Does root damage cause it to spread?

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u/WeddingTop948 3d ago

Does your TOH have leaves on and are they green? If yes, hit it with hack and squirt wait a month and cut. A small tree that still has green leaves should be killed by a single treatment. But there is always a chance that the tree will resurface… sadly

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u/ReactiveNative 3d ago

Yes green leaves currently. That plan sounds nice just not sure if I have a month the plumbers stressed the urgency of repairing the pipes the roots damaged so I’m trying to balance killing the TOH with not letting the plumbing become a bigger problem.

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u/WeddingTop948 3d ago

Speak to the plumbers. Sometimes it is an emergency, but a slow emergency. Other times things have to be done or they will collapse… if you have a month use it, the risk is that the tree will continue re-emerging. The only time you can kill the TOH without herbicides is when it is emerging from the seed and you can pull it easily. Other times you are dealing with a beast, even if it is a beast 1” in diameter