Beaufort County, SC Invasive Plant Rules: Tree-of-Heaven Removal (2026)

Table 5.11.100.C of the Community Development Code, part of the § 5.11.100 Tree Protection division, lists "Tree of Heaven" by its scientific name, "Ailanthus altissma," among the six species the county classifies as invasive tree species alongside Chinaberry, Chinese Tallow Tree, Mimosa, Paper Mulberry and Princess Tree. Section 5.11.100.G explains why the list exists: "Native Lowcountry plant species should be protected from competition from invasive tree species." Because Tree of Heaven appears on that table, it is expressly carved out of the definitions of both "specimen tree" under § 5.11.100.B and "grand tree" under § 5.11.100.F.1.a, so a large Ailanthus is not entitled to the DBH-based protections, mitigation replanting or Planning Commission review that apply to a live oak or longleaf pine of similar size.

Removal instead follows the size rule set for every listed invasive species: "All invasive species less than 12 inches DBH may be removed without a tree removal permit," while "removal of an invasive species 12 inches DBH or greater requires a tree removal permit, see Section 7.2.50 (Tree Removal Permit) except when located on a single-family developed lot outside of a required buffer." A homeowner with a fast-growing Tree of Heaven crowding a river buffer or resource protection zone at 12 inches DBH or larger still needs that permit even though the species carries no mitigation or replanting obligation once removal is approved.