Florida Department of Agriculture's Noxious Weed list includes Ailanthus altissima (Tree of Heaven), banning sale or transport. Miami homeowners discovering specimens should remove them, though Tree of Heaven is far less common in South Florida than melaleuca, Brazilian pepper, or Australian pine.
Ailanthus altissima appears on the FDACS Noxious Weed list under Florida Administrative Code 5B-57.007, prohibiting introduction, multiplication, possession, movement, or release. The Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council also classifies it Category I in north Florida; in South Florida the dominant tree-of-heaven equivalents are Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), melaleuca, Australian pine, and earleaf acacia, all banned under FAC 5B-57. Miami Code Sec. 17-43 plus Miami-Dade County DERM rules reinforce removal during land clearing. Removal permits from Miami's Office of Resilience replace standard tree-protection requirements when an invasive species is the subject. Spotted lanternfly host concerns drive heightened FDACS monitoring on Tree of Heaven.
Sale, transport, or planting of FDACS-listed noxious weeds carries FAC 5B-57 penalties up to $10,000 per violation through the Bureau of Plant Industry. Miami land-clearing without removal triggers DERM orders. Interstate nursery shipments face USDA APHIS enforcement.
See how Miami's tree-of-heaven removal rules stack up against other locations.
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