We chopped down this stand of invasive Tree of Heaven trees behind my house, draped ourselves in crowns and garlands from its leaves, and carried leafy batons and 16ft trees in the annual Handmade Parade at Penland School of Craft.

Thanks to an awesome crew, this was such a fun, last minute execution of the murderous thoughts I’d been directing at these trees for awhile. We’re busy folks. We created this parade entry in one hour. When we were done, we simply returned the garlands and trees to the woods to decompose. (no seed pods on this male tree)

And now there’s more room for the ferns and milkweed in my back yard.

CREW
-Parade Goers
Susan Feagin, Lori Johnson, Jeffrey Milloy
-Harvesters, garland makers
Megac Roche, Anthony Naimo, Ariana Sellers

Tree of Heaven is an invasive species that outcompetes many natives and is the preferred host for the spotted lanternfly, a serious, invasive pest for agricultural crops. It resembles native staghorn sumac, black walnut, and hickory, so be careful in your identification.

Photos by Ellie Richards, Robin Dryeyer, and Ariana Sellers