Schaumburg, IL Invasive Plant Rules: Tree-of-Heaven Removal (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing table
- Table 1, § 154.136, Unacceptable Trees list
- Tree of heaven designation
- Ailanthus spp., listed weak wooded/invasive
- Effect
- Cannot count toward required landscape or replacement plan
- Approval override
- Village manager may approve alternate species
- Related removal rule
- § 154.135(B)(3)(g) allows removal of invasive trees
Summary
Schaumburg's landscaping code won't let a developer plant a tree of heaven to satisfy any required landscaping, screening or tree-replacement plan. Village Code § 154.136(I)(1) requires new plantings to come from the approved species list in Table 1, and that table flags Ailanthus (tree of heaven) as an 'unacceptable' tree alongside buckthorn and Russian olive.
(I)Selection: Planting materials used in conformance with the provisions of this section shall be of good quality of a species normally grown in northeastern Illinois and capable of withstanding the extremes of individual site microclimates. The plants listed in Table 1 of this section shall be used unless alternate species that meet the intent of the paragraph are approved by the village manager or his/her designee. ... UNACCEPTABLE TREES Common Name Botanical Name Cultivar ... Tree of heaven Ailanthus spp. Weak wooded/invasive
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56 Update 1 | Policy Manual: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
135. ' Table 1's recommended plant list ends with a section headed 'UNACCEPTABLE TREES,' a roster of twelve species the village will not credit toward a landscape plan, tree-replacement, or parking lot island planting. 135(B)(3)(g) lets the community development director approve tree-removal permits specifically to eliminate invasive trees, naming buckthorn, black locust, Siberian elm, Chinese elm, slippery elm and box elder as examples, and can require a restoration plan for the cleared area. 135(B)(3)(g) would need the director's case-by-case sign-off rather than an automatic approval, while any replacement planting required after removal cannot use tree of heaven regardless, since it sits on the unacceptable list in Table 1.
Violations & Fines
There's no standalone fine for planting a tree of heaven; the consequence runs through the landscape plan approval process. A landscape plan proposing an unacceptable species from Table 1 will not be approved by the community development director under § 154.136(I)(1) unless the village manager or designee accepts it as a qualifying alternate, and any occupancy permit tied to that plan can be withheld under § 154.136(U) until compliant plantings are installed or a substitute species is approved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I plant a tree of heaven to meet Schaumburg's landscaping requirements?
Does Schaumburg require removal of existing tree of heaven trees?
What other trees does Schaumburg's unacceptable list include besides tree of heaven?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Schaumburg
Compare Schaumburg to another location·View the Illinois invasive plant rules overview
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Tree-of-Heaven Removal in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cook County handle tree-of-heaven removal.