This tree is actually quite beautiful which is why I'm questioning my ID as a Tree-of-Heaven. Non serated leaf edges and that palm-tree-esque walnut/sumac style leave pattern make it the right ID for me, but it was planted on purpose in front of a car parts store here in Bridgewater, MA. Do they actually sell this species?
One other bit of info: it didn't smell bad when i crushed the leaves, so maybe I'm wrong.
The sure sign that I want to see to tell ME if it is Ailanthus is covered by your fingers in last two pics. I hope for your sake this is clear to someone else, otherwise you might get stomped for not simply getting a decent picture of entire leaves/leaflets- LOL
And I was just putting on my boots - a la Nancy Sinatra...
I don't see any lobes at the base of a leaflet...
I agree, it's a beautiful tree
Sorry - my followup was delayed by a very pleasant Sunday morning breakfast...
So, we'll move forward with a bit of pedagogy and a full measure of "parts of plants" primer.
First on photos: good overall tree images, but falling off after that. Always try to determine "opposite versus alternate" on how leaves are attached to stems/branches. These images do not show that, so among the things it could be - there is no way to narrow that overall field.
If I could see that those pinnate compound leaves were oppositely arranged on the branches - BOOM - I'd jump right in and say that this is likely a Phellodendron amurense. Fraxinus sp. is another group of trees with pinnate compound oppositely arranged leaves. If alternate, then it eliminates those possibilities in favor of nut trees and Tree-of-Heaven, among others.
The buds on the branches/stems (at the base of where leaves attach by the leaf's petiole) are also excellent ID features - in the growing season and during dormancy. By focusing on the opposite v. alternate information, you will often get the "bud shot" along with petioles, leaf scars, bud scars, lenticels, and maybe even the pith - as a recent poster did when snapping off a branch to bring inside to better photo conditions.
I agree with sallyg above on how to display inforrmation about a plant part. You pinched off a leaflet in order to get top view and bottom view images - but the thumb scale got in the way of showing the leaflet base and petiolule. Additionally, you did not pluck off and show an entire leaf, which is composed of all the leaflets (that you showed one of), the rachis, the petiole and the petiolules. Those individual parts of a compound leaf often hold clues to the identity of plants that are very similar to others - like the nutty Hickories and Walnuts, and the sensational Sumacs.
"...but it was planted on purpose in front of a car parts store here in Bridgewater, MA..."
How do you know that this statement is true?
"Do they actually sell this species?"
Anything is available for sale, but I'd be surprised to find any of this species in larger sizes.
Agree with V V in principle ;-)
But there's enough here - the bark pattern - to confirm it is Ailanthus altissima
Resin
Thanks guys! I was trying to show the leaf had no serrated edges in the latter pics - I forgot about the base of the leaf being an ID factor!
