Selected Plants of Navajo Rangelands

Take care of our Navajo Rangelands

Tree of Heaven
T’iis Nattói

Red and green samara with seeds visible inside them.

Tree of heaven is found in middle elevations growing at the roadside and in nearby swales. It is generally an unwanted interloper. It has pinnately compound leaves which are coarsely dentate. Portions of the tree take on a reddish hue by mid-summer because the samaras become partially red in color. The winter twigs are very thick and light brown, with a light brown pith. There are around 8 or 9 bundle scars in the leaf scars. The buds are hemispheric.

*Description courtesy of Western New Mexico University's Vascular Plants of the Gila Wilderness.

Leaf scar and new bud. The leaf scar has nine bundle scars. Bud and twig are slightly fuzzy.
Thick twig next to a ruler for scale. Twig is reddish brown, marked by tiny lenticels. It is slightly fuzzy.
Cross-section of twig showing thin outer bark and light brown pith
Luxuriant foliage of pinnately compound leaves

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