Are you the type of person who gets confused in identifying some trees due to the compound shape of leaves? Don’t hesitate to say Yes.
While walking on the tracks and checking out the plants, you might have noticed native look-alikes, Tree of Heaven, and Poison Sumac. Interestingly, both trees are similar in appearance but have different origins. And that’s why they have distinctive characteristics.
Of course, it isn’t easy to differentiate between both trees, but still, tree lovers like you want to know the anatomy of both species so that the real difference between the two can be sought out.
And that’s what we are here for. We will share some similarities and differences between the Tree of Heaven and Poison sumac. This way, you can easily find out: are they the same or different.
Now, let’s first look at them individually, then we’ll dig more deeply into the actual differences between them.
What is Tree of Heaven?
The tree of heaven is a fast-growing and exotic invasive tree that can germinate and grow according to the soil condition. Therefore, the Tree of Heaven finds trouble in the urban landscapes of woodlands due to the soil conditions.
This tall tree reproduces prolifically and grows more than 80 feet, and has become naturalized in the United States. People grow different habitats like grassy fields, forest edges, roadsides, local parks, backyards, agricultural fields, and surface-mined lands.
On the other hand, the Tree of Heaven is observed in cities and towns where it grows out of cracks and services of stones.
Furthermore, the tree of heaven is almost everywhere where the environment soil is enough to support its growth, germination, and seedling.
Poison sumac
Have you ever noticed the cluster of white and light green berries with dropping branches? Yes, you guessed it right! It’s Poison sumac- a species of rocky soil!
It also has the red berries referred to as the harmless sumac, and it sits upright on the branches.
How can I differentiate the harmless sumac and Poison sumac? Relax, mate! It is pretty simple to differentiate them based on their leaves. Every poison sumac stem has a cluster of leaflets with smooth pointed edges. While harmless sumac leaves have jagged edges.
Sumac trees have various species that are also different from each other. However, the poison sumac has massive similarities with the tree of heaven, like the tree bases and the fragile.
Similarities Between Tree of Heaven and Poison sumac
Before reaching any final decision, let’s take a peek at some similarities that both trees share:
- Both native-alikes have compound leaves.
- Both are fast-growing and commonly found in North America.
- They are common in anthropogenic habitats and have become less.
- Common in natural areas due to their existing form and types.
- They are highly invasive.
Characteristics of the Tree of Heaven and Poison sumac
Tree of Heaven and Poison sumac can be considered the same as they have similar leaf shapes and occurrences in their distributed habitats. But you also easily distinguish them by leaves, barks, twigs, height, trunk, and fruit.
Leaflet
The leaflet of the Tree of Heaven has few teeth at the base, and the rest of the leaf has a margin that is not serrated. Whereas, the leaflet margin of the Poison sumac is distinctive, has jagged edges, and serrated along the whole length of the tree.
Presence of Hair
The twigs, stems, and leaves are hairless in the Tree of Heaven. In the case of Poison sumac, the young twigs and their stems have leaves and leaflets covered with dense hairs.
Fruits
The Tree of Heaven has the hanging cluster of the fruit of dry seeds and becomes closed in the flat structure to permit the wide dispersal. Whereas, Sumac tree fruit is a dense and upright cluster of red berries.
Also, its reddish cone-shaped cluster of fruit is available for the whole summer or in fall for a few months.
Bark
The bark of Tree of Heaven is grey when mature and has a slightly irregular vertical strip of lighter tone color. Poison sumac features a dark grey and grey-brown bark along with horizontal stripes.
Trunk
The trunk of the Tree of Heaven reacts to many feet in diameter. Its trunk usually grows straight and tall by leaving several branches at the middle or top.
On the flip side, the trunk of Poison sumac nearly reaches 10 inches or 25 cm in diameter. Its trunk is lean yet shorter and branches frequently.
Height
The height of the Tree of Heaven varies. The medium size tree has a height of 60 to 70 feet. But it can be more in the tree that grows in shrubby habitats.
The height of the Sumac tree is about 30 feet tall, which is usually shorter than the Tree of Heaven. The small tree or large shrub grows to 40 feet in length.
Foliage
The foliage of the Tree of Heaven emits a strong and unpleasant nutty smell only if crushed. And the foliage of the Poison sumac doesn’t have a strong smell even after crushing.
We hope these characteristics help you understand the differences between Poison sumac and the Tree of Heaven. Of course, both have some similarities, but still, they are different in their fruits, height, bark, and leaves.
Final Verdict
So by summing up the above discussion, it is clear that the Tree of Heaven and the Poison Sumac is different regarding various characteristics. The main difference lies in their fruits and leaflets.
So if you come across these trees and want to differentiate between them, then ensure that you assess the leaves deeply. And here, it becomes clear to you that the Tree of Heaven and Poison sumac is not the same. Instead, they are different trees that are found in the same habitat.
We hope after reading this guide, you can easily distinguish the two trees. And enjoy adoring nature more!