What is the Tree of Heaven? The tree of heaven (
Ailanthus altissima (/eɪˈlænθəs ælˈtɪsɪmə/ ay-LAN-thəss al-TIH-sim-ə), commonly known as tree of heaven or ailanthus tree, is a deciduous tree in the quassia family.
Fryer (2010) states that the scientific name, Ailanthus (i.e. sky-tree) and the common name, tree-of-heaven, refer to this tree's ability to grow towards the sky very quickly.
Germanic paganism and Norse mythology
The tree of life appears in Norse religion as Yggdrasil, the world tree, a massive tree (sometimes considered a yew or ash tree) with extensive lore surrounding it.
Cutting is most effective when trees have begun to flower (June-early July). A cut or injured tree-of-heaven may send up dozens of root sprouts. At least two cuttings per year may be necessary (one early in the growing season and one late in the growing season) to significantly weaken the plant.
Uses: Tree of Heaven can be used for cabinetry, turned objects, and paper (pulpwood). Availability: In many locations Tree of Heaven is considered an invasive species. The wood is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List.
But, be careful to wear gloves if you plan on touching Tree of Heaven. Handling the leaves and branches of this tree can cause a skin rash due to exposure to the sap.
Biblical story
The story of the Book of Genesis places the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden, where they may eat the fruit of many trees, but are forbidden by God to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
It also appears in 2 Esdras (2:12; 8:52) and 4 Maccabees (18:16), which are included among the Jewish apocrypha. According to the Greek Apocalypse of Moses, the tree of life is also called the Tree of Mercy.
The Ankh. While most Wiccan symbols draw primarily from European religions, the Ankh originated in ancient Egypt. It was considered the key to life and remains a symbol of eternal life for contemporary Wiccans. Other Neo-Pagan religions also use the Ankh, especially Kemetic Reconstructionists.
It can be commonly confused with native trees and shrubs such as sumacs, ash, hickory, black walnut, butternut and pecan, but these are distinguishable by their completely serrated leaflets.
In Christian tradition, consuming the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was the original sin committed by Adam and Eve that led to the fall of man in Genesis 3.
Flowers and Fruit
Tree-of-heaven flowers are small and pale yellow to green, growing on the tree in large clusters. Female trees produce clusters of samara fruits: single seeds encased in a papery wing. The samaras are 1-2 inches long. Note that black walnut and staghorn sumac do not have samaras.
Known by a number of names including stinking sumac, Chinese sumac, varnish tree and stink tree, the plant releases a strong, offensive smell, particularly from its flowers. The tree of heaven was brought from China to the United States in the late 1700s as a horticultural specimen and shade tree.
Tree-of-heaven is a common nonnative pest species that seeds into the landscape and can take over old fields. It grows straight and is easy-splitting, with burning qualities that are similar to maple. Avoid this species for firewood, even if a friendly logger offers it for free.
Tree-of-heaven usually has low palatability for grazers; however, livestock (cattle, sheep, and goats) and deer will consume it during certain times of the year under specific circumstances. Goats will eat leaves and bark. Deer will browse leaves during the summer—especially in shady, forested areas.
Considering all the locations we have looked at, we can safely locate where the Garden of Eden existed. The most common location for the Garden of Eden is in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq). The primary reason is the mention of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers which flow through that country.
Since he is sinless now, he is allowed into heaven. But if he doesn't see his sin and does not feel remorse over it, he cannot be forgiven and exempted from punishment. In this case, he will not be allowed into heaven where there is no sin. Adam and Eve repented and were forgiven, hence they are allowed in heaven.
The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.
Because the Hebrew Bible describes the forbidden fruit only as peri, the term for general fruit, no one knows. It could be a fruit that doesn't exist anymore. Historians have speculated it may have been any one of these fruits: pomegranate, mango, fig, grape, etrog or citron, carob, pear, quince or mushroom.
The Bible does not tell how long Eve lived. Adam lived 930 years. Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died. The Bible does not provide an exact age for Eve's death.
Their reconstructed texts talk about the creator deity El, who lived in a vineyard or garden together with his wife Asherah on Mount Ararat. Another god, Horon, tries to depose El and when thrown down from the mountain, he transforms the Tree of Life from the garden into a Tree of Death.
The dried bark from the trunk and root are sometimes used in folk medicine. Tree of heaven is used for diarrhea, asthma, cramps, epilepsy, fast heart rate, gonorrhea, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses. In manufacturing, tree of heaven is used as insecticide.
Identifying a tree during the dormant season is not always easy, but a mature tree of heaven has a very distinct, rough and fissured bark that looks like the skin of a cantaloupe. The leaves are long with a central stem and leaflets on either side.
A century after the North American introductions, tree-of-heaven is still most common in its initial centers of distribution: the Northeast and California. In the eastern United States, it is most invasive from New England south to the mid-Atlantic states [93,233].