Homeowner receives urgent warning after making concerning find in old garden bed: 'Kill it with fire immediately'

A gardener in central Pennsylvania turned to Reddit for help after finding a tricky invasive species in an old garden bed they were in the process of cleaning out. 

Posting in the r/Gardening subreddit, they said they found a "tree of heaven," and after doing some research, they realized it was invasive. However, they were unsure how to approach removing the tree. 

The tree of heaven is a particularly nasty invasive species in Pennsylvania, and it is a tricky one to get rid of. According to Penn State University, it is native to the temperate regions of China and Taiwan and was brought to the United States beginning in the 1700s because of how quickly they grow and produce shade. However, trees of heaven quickly fell out of favor due to their "weedy nature" and the fact that they smell, frankly, quite terrible. 

They spread like wildfire, quickly sprouting clone trees once they reach a certain age and height, and reproduce by seed. But they also spread via root suckers, which send up multiple clone trees in a close area. 

If you find them when they're fully grown, trees of heaven are incredibly difficult to remove; it requires regular, specific use of herbicides, as cutting or mowing them results in the plant producing a number of root suckers in an effort to keep itself alive. Younger trees can be removed by digging them out, provided you get the entire root system out quickly. 

If you're looking to aid in the fight against invasive species, consider rewilding your yard or switching to a natural lawn. 

Commenters on the post all had the same sentiment: kill it, and kill it quickly. 

"Kill it with fire immediately," one said. "Then dig all the ashes up and burn them and dump them in the river and dump five gallons of Roundup in the remaining hole. Then move."

"Kill it now," said another. "Take every bit of it out of the ground or you will be sorry."

Should we be actively working to kill invasive species? Absolutely 💯 It depends on the species 🤔 I don't know 🤷 No — leave nature alone 🙅 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"Echoing what others have said - remove all of it - every last root," said a third. "And soon. Or you will regret it."

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