Side by side
Golden rain tree or tree of heaven? How to tell them apart
Koelreuteria paniculata · Ailanthus altissima
How to tell them apart – golden rain tree: small tree with a pinnate, coarsely toothed leaf, yellow flower panicles in summer and inflated, lantern-like fruits; tree of heaven: much larger leaf with untoothed leaflets, each with 1–3 teeth at the base, smells foul when crushed.
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How do you recognise them?
- Golden rain tree
- Small tree with a pinnate, coarsely toothed leaf, yellow flower panicles in summer and inflated, lantern-like fruits.
- Tree of heaven
- Very large pinnate leaf with 13–41 leaflets, each with 1–3 coarse teeth at the base; stinks when crushed.
- Compared with golden rain tree: much larger leaf with untoothed leaflets, each with 1–3 teeth at the base; smells foul when crushed.
| Golden rain tree | Tree of heaven | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, pinnate to partly bipinnate, 15–35 cm, with 7–15 coarsely and irregularly toothed to deeply cut leaflets; reddish when young, yellow to orange in autumn. | Alternate, pinnate, 40–90 cm long with 13–41 leaflets. These are untoothed apart from 1–3 coarse teeth near the base, with a small gland beneath. |
| Flowering | Large, upright panicles of small golden-yellow flowers with a red centre, in July–August (July–August). | June–July |
| Fruit | Inflated, three-sided pods 4–5 cm long, green to pinkish red at first, later papery brown, with black seeds. | Clusters of twisted winged fruits that turn red to brown. |
| Bark | Light brown to grey-brown, shallowly furrowed. | Smooth, grey with pale vertical stripes. |
| Shape and height | Broadleaf tree, 8–12 m | Broadleaf tree, 15–25 m |
| Site | Full sun, any garden soil, dry | Full sun, any garden soil, dry |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | No, an invasive alien species |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | – | Little |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | November–March | Better removed than pruned |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Tree of heaven is an invasive non-native species: do not plant it. Pull up seedlings and choose a native species instead.
- Tree of heaven grows 15–25 m tall: too big for an ordinary garden, but fine in a large garden, a park or a meadow.
Read on
- Plant profile: Golden rain tree
- Plant profile: Tree of heaven
- Golden rain tree: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.