Ailanthus altissima, the host plant of the spotted lanternfly, is a Cal-IPC high-rated invasive that Santa Clara County's Agricultural Commissioner monitors. Property owners are urged to remove seedlings promptly to slow spread along creeks and roadsides.
Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is rated High by the California Invasive Plant Council and is the preferred host of the spotted lanternfly, a federally regulated pest. The Santa Clara County Department of Agriculture and Environmental Management conducts periodic surveys and accepts public reports through its pest hotline. Although California has no statewide eradication mandate for the tree itself, the Ag Commissioner enforces lanternfly quarantines under Cal. Food & Ag Code §§5101–5106 and may order treatment when an infestation is confirmed. Removal is voluntary on private property absent a quarantine, but Cal-IPC and Valley Water recommend cut-stump herbicide treatment because cutting alone produces aggressive root suckering.
Failure to comply with a county quarantine, abate confirmed spotted lanternfly populations, or transport regulated articles can result in misdemeanor citation under Cal. Food & Ag Code §§5101–5106 and civil penalties.
See how Sunnyvale's tree-of-heaven removal rules stack up against other locations.
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