Quassia family, Simaroubaceae
Origin: China
Habitat in the original area: deciduous forests up to 1,000 metre above sea level
Habitus: A tree up to 30 metre tall. Its bark is smooth. The crown is cylindrical and sparsely branched. The shoots are reddish-brown, with velvety trichomes and with prominent leaf scars.
Leaf: The leaves alternate on the twig. They are composed of 6–15 pairs of pointed, ovate-lanceolate leaflets. The base of the leaves has two teeth, which have a gland at the top and smell unpleasantly of mouse urine when crushed.
Bloom, fruit: The yellow-green blossoms are small and inconspicuous. They bloom in panicles in June. The fruit is a red-brown achene with a wing. The seed is located in the middle.
Interesting fact: It spreads easily. Its seedlings take root even in places with little nutrient and shallow soil. It is classified as an invasive species in the Czech Republic and its cultivation is prohibited. It secretes ailanthon into the environment – a substance that prevents other woody plants from growing.
