stewartia and juglone?

Does anyone know the compatibility of stewartia in an area previously inhabited by juglone-secreting stink-sumac "tree of heaven" and poison ivy?

We have healthy Stewartia monadelpha here among black walnuts and poison-ivy, with no Ailanthus in sight, if that helps any. However, I'm not sure which allelopathic chemical is produced by Ailanthus, but I don't believe it's juglone. Somebody help us out here.

Regardless, allelopathic chemicals degrade and their affects diminish rapidly following the demise of the source. So your use of the word "formerly" is encouraging!

Guy S.

Thanks! Ailanthus puts out juglone, at minimum. If the Stewartia are surviving with walnut & poison ivy, then that answers my question. It's only been a year since we cleared an area that was horribly overtaken with Ailanthus and poison-ivy, and there is probably still some poison ivy hiding out there, so "past" may not be totally accurate. But-- no problem, if yours are surviving. I'd put in 4 Stewartia last summer which didn't make it through a bad drought month just as we were gone and they didn't get much watering, so I assumed it was the lack of water but I did have to wonder whether to try again or not. I've got 8 Stewartia ready to go now, though!

I don't believe any of the phytotoxins produced by Ailanthus are Juglone. Ailanthone is the primary phytotoxic compound produced by ailanthus altissima and it is considerably more detrimental to other species than Juglone. Ailanthone is a quassinoid compound. although Ailanthone is allegedly short lived due to microbial degradation, please know that it is not the only toxin produced by ailanthus and I don't seem to recall reading any studies regarding residual effects of ailanthus toxins other than Ailanthone. I don't even recall what the names are of the other phytotoxic compounds produced by ailanthus. This being said, Ailanthone soil persistence may be short lived... but are the other phytotoxic compounds produced by Ailanthus also short lived? I have this little voice that tells me the other phytotoxins produced by Ailanthus might not be short lived. Your Stewartia may not have succumbed to the Ailanthone if enough time had elapsed between when you removed the source and when you planted more appropriate species but your Stewartia may very well have succumbed to the presence of concentrations of the other phytoxins produced by the Ailanthus that previously occuppied the area in which you planted them. Could have been a combo deal too. The plants may have been struggling from the phytoxins and then got whammied by the drought. Just my .02¢.

Say, does any one know the names of the other allelopathic chemicals produced by Ailanthus?

Found this site to be interesting-
http://ontariotrees.com/main/a/ailanthus/mondaygarden/SS148ailanthus.html

I'm just glad (and impressed!) that you came up with that one. I thought Juglone was restricted to walnuts and hickories, but I didn't know what Ailanthus produced and never had occasion to try to find out.

By the way, nice to see your poor planting fingers are healed up enough to use the Caps key again!!!

Guy S.

Juglone is not restricted to Walnuts and Hickories per se.

Don't be overly impressed. There are certain plants that I would love nothing better than to see them blown off the continent of North America and you better be sitting down for this... Ailanthus is one of them. You must be shocked to learn that I feel that way I'm sure. Seriously, I keep up on these 30 plants or so because I don't ever want to miss an opportunity to give them a good plug here and there.

Nope, not healed at all and I've got a few weeks to go but I can now use the thumb and index finger on my right hand. Yippe, space bar AND caps. That is a big help as now I can also use the mouse with my right hand. Before, I was doing this bizarre contortionist move of typing and then reaching my left hand over and across to move the mouse. It was sort of like a computerized game of seated Twister.

Backing up a bit to plants I'd like to see blown off the continent of North America, here's another one that a good friend sent me a photo of. My friend sent it to me titled "The DirtBall Tree". I doctored the photo a little bit and just love sharing it with others any time I can-

I think maybe I'll come up there and break some more fingers . . .
that's MY TREE! (At least it was sent to you by "a good friend!")

Guy S.

Wow Guy, your skills of observation are unparalleled. That is your tree! Tra la la la la la la la la la la la.

You stay away from my tree, serial killer!

Evil, the tree in the picture is actually very pretty. As for the message, hmm... Not very christian of you to say such bad things about another living entity, oh, the shame...

Of course the tree in the photo is very pretty. Why do you think it's such a problem child and has naturalized from sea to shining sea displacing indigenous flora at such an unprecedented rate? Ever heard of the Garden of Eden and forbidden fruit? Tee he.

Watch out -- Evil is feeling better and like her old fiesty self again. Nothing is safe now!

Guy S.

Why yes, I am feeling much better. tee he, guess it shows.