Knowledgebase
Weed Fabric and Tree of Heaven #875930
Asked July 04, 2024, 1:36 PM EDT
I have a large (24"+ diameter trunk) tree of heaven established in my yard surrounded by a mulched area with 2-3 layers of heavy duty weed fabric underneath, presumably to manage the TOH suckers. I've read that landscape fabric doesn't really work and it restricts water infiltration. The soil under the weed fabric is heavily compacted.
I'd like to pull up the weed fabric but am concerned in this case the weed fabric is actually helping more than it's hurting, however I would also like to grow plants in the area. I considered raised beds in the area if the weed fabric needs to stay. Is weed fabric actually helpful around tree of heaven to manage suckers, or can I remove it?
Jefferson County Colorado
Expert Response
Thank your for contacting Extension with your question.
We do not recommend the use of landscape fabric, even to suppress suckers of this tree. It is not healthy for the soil. Please take a look at the following article.
https://arapahoe.extension.colostate.edu/2024/03/02/landscape-fabric-yea-or-nay/
The bad news is that the Tree of Heaven is highly invasive and has been classified as a noxious weed. It's non-native, produces a lot of seeds, and has no benefit for native pollinators. If its invasive habits aren’t enough, its roots are allelopathic, releasing chemicals that can inhibit germination or growth of nearby plants. Even after removal of the tree, you may still need to remove seedlings before planting anything in that area. Please consider the information in the following article.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UdYfZXpc752S0WfPE68yhPJxOpP17o8U/view
Best regards,
Cindy G.
Thank you! If I'm understanding correctly from the tree of heaven link you sent, it is always recommended to have the tree removed and plant a new non-invasive tree instead?
