Good trees or bad trees? - Ask Extension
We are cleaning up an abandoned, semi wooded area. We know we should remove “tree of heaven”. But are these good trees or bad trees?
Knowledgebase
Good trees or bad trees? #880672
Asked August 08, 2024, 10:16 AM EDT
We are cleaning up an abandoned, semi wooded area. We know we should remove “tree of heaven”. But are these good trees or bad trees?
Baltimore City County Maryland
Expert Response
This might be Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus), a species native to the U.S. but rare in Maryland since we're on the very edge of its native range. The foliage of native Devil's Walkingstick (Aralia spinosa) looks superficially similar, though there will be prominent spines on the main stem / trunk; the leaves pictured don't look toothed enough to be this species, but we mention it as a comparison. You can use tools like the Virginia Tech dendrology key to use foliage, stem, and bud characteristics to narrow-down which species this might be. (Coffeetree is included in its database.)
Miri
Miri