Tree of heaven is the preferred host plant of the spotted lanternfly, an invasive pest that has spread across the eastern United States. The two species share a tangled relationship: both are invasive, both originate from Asia, and the lanternfly depends heavily on tree of heaven to complete its lifecycle and reproduce successfully. Understanding this connection is central to managing either pest.
Why Spotted Lanternfly Prefers Tree of Heaven
Early-stage spotted lanternfly nymphs (the first three instars) aren’t picky eaters. Their mouthparts are too weak to penetrate woody tissue, so they feed on soft annual plants and new growth on perennials. At this stage, they show no significant preference for tree of heaven over other plants.
That changes dramatically during the fourth instar. As nymphs mature into their final stage before adulthood, they develop a strong preference for tree of heaven that persists through most of their adult life. When spotted lanternflies show up in a new area, the adults are almost always found on tree of heaven first. Late in the fall, adults move away from tree of heaven to feed on grapevines, silver maple, willow, and other plants, possibly because sap flow in tree of heaven slows as the season progresses.
Spotted lanternflies will feed on a surprisingly wide range of plants in a pinch. They’ve been found on corn, soybeans, basil, cucumbers, roses, and even grass. But researchers believe this opportunistic feeding is just a way to get enough energy to move on to something better.
Tree of Heaven’s Effect on Survival and Reproduction
Tree of heaven isn’t just preferred. It’s critical to the lanternfly’s success. A study published in Frontiers in Insect Science tracked nymph survival from first instar to adulthood across different diets: nymphs raised on tree of heaven survived at a rate of 37.7%, compared to just 6.3% on Concord grape alone. Nymphs given access to both tree of heaven and grape did even better, reaching 50.6% survival.
The pattern holds for adults. Lanternflies feeding only on grape lived an average of 17 days before the first frost. Those on tree of heaven alone survived 47 days, and those with access to both hosts lived about 42 days. Adult survival rates before first frost followed the same gradient: 43.7% on grape alone, 58.7% on tree of heaven, and 72.7% on the mixed diet.
Reproduction tells a similar story. Females on a mixed diet of grape and tree of heaven laid an average of 2.58 egg masses containing about 95 eggs total. Females on tree of heaven alone laid 1.72 egg masses with 48 eggs. Females restricted to grape managed just a single egg mass with 45 eggs. The combination of tree of heaven with other food sources appears to be the ideal scenario for lanternfly population growth, which explains why vineyards near tree of heaven stands face the worst infestations.
How to Identify Tree of Heaven
Tree of heaven is often confused with native species like staghorn sumac and black walnut. A few features set it apart. Its compound leaves can reach up to two and a half feet long, with 11 to 41 leaflets per leaf. Black walnut leaves are shorter (maxing out around two feet) and have fewer leaflets (15 to 23). Tree of heaven also has a single leaflet at the tip of each leaf, while black walnut typically has two.
The most reliable identifying features are small “glandular teeth” at the base of each leaflet, visible as one or two small bumps on an otherwise smooth leaf edge. The bark is smooth and light grey with small raised dots (lenticels), developing fissures with age. Twigs show large, heart-shaped leaf scars.
If you’re still unsure, crush a leaf and smell it. Tree of heaven leaves and stems smell like rancid peanut butter. It’s unmistakable once you know what to look for.
The Trap Tree Strategy
Because spotted lanternflies are so drawn to tree of heaven, land managers can exploit that preference. The trap tree approach turns the pest’s favorite food source into a weapon. The basic strategy has three steps.
- Remove female trees. Female tree of heaven trees produce winged seedpods that spread the species aggressively. Removing them eliminates a food source for lanternflies while also preventing new tree of heaven growth.
- Keep some males as trap trees. Leave about 10% of the largest male trees standing. Male trees don’t produce seeds, so they won’t spread. Treat these trees yearly in spring with a systemic insecticide. When lanternflies feed on the treated sap, they die.
- Kill the remaining trees properly. Simply cutting tree of heaven down won’t work. Its roots can extend 26 feet outward and will send up new shoots aggressively if the parent tree is removed without chemical treatment. You need to treat the roots first, wait for die-back symptoms (generally about 30 days), and then cut.
How to Remove Tree of Heaven
Timing matters more than anything when killing tree of heaven. Apply herbicide from mid-July through the onset of fall color, when the tree is actively moving nutrients down to its roots. This carries the herbicide into the root system and prevents suckering.
Several application methods work. Foliar sprays target the leaves directly. Basal bark treatments apply herbicide to the lower trunk, which absorbs it through the bark. Hack-and-squirt involves making cuts in the trunk and applying concentrated herbicide directly into the cuts. All three methods are effective during the recommended summer window.
Cut stump treatments, where you cut the tree and apply herbicide to the stump, are the least effective approach. They’ll keep the stump from sprouting, but they won’t stop root suckering. New shoots can emerge feet away from the original trunk. If you need to remove a tree for safety reasons, cut it and treat the stump, but understand that follow-up treatment for root sprouts will likely be necessary.
Treating Trap Trees With Insecticide
Trap trees work best when treated with a systemic insecticide that the tree absorbs into its sap. Two main active ingredients are used. One provides excellent and consistent results and can be applied as a soil drench, trunk spray, or trunk injection from July through September. The other is applied either as a soil drench (after flowering through July) or by trunk injection (July through September), though its effectiveness can be more variable.
Trunk injection, done by professionals with specialized equipment, delivers the most precise dose with the least chemical released into the surrounding environment. Trunk sprays (sometimes called bark banding) are more accessible for property owners and still kill lanternflies within days of feeding. Soil drenches are applied around the base of the tree, where roots absorb the insecticide and move it upward.
Timing these applications to avoid harming pollinators is essential. Never treat a tree while it’s blooming. Apply systemic insecticides only after flowering is complete, and only to trees that spotted lanternflies actually feed on. The insecticide works by ingestion, so treating a tree lanternflies ignore accomplishes nothing. For larger properties or valuable landscapes, hiring a certified pesticide applicator provides better precision and reduces exposure risk.
Where Both Species Are Spreading
Spotted lanternfly was first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014 and has since spread across the mid-Atlantic region. Pennsylvania alone has 56 counties under state quarantine. Confirmed populations also exist in New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and West Virginia. Tree of heaven, which established itself across North America long before the lanternfly arrived, is present in most U.S. states and grows readily along roadsides, forest edges, and disturbed land. Its tendency to grow near vineyards and orchards creates a direct pipeline for lanternfly infestations into agricultural areas, where the insects disperse into crops to feed continuously.