Westland, MI Invasive Plant Rules: Tree-of-Heaven Removal (2026)
Key Facts
- Classification
- Invasive species (§11.11.3.b)
- Removal permit
- Exempt (§11.11.4.j)
- Protected-tree status
- Excluded
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 248, Oct. 21, 2024
Summary
Westland's zoning ordinance classifies Tree of Heaven as an invasive species, exempting it from the tree-preservation permit and replacement rules that protect other trees.
Invasive tree shall mean trees that are non-native and/or undesirable as they are likely to cause harm to local ecosystems by crowding out natives and/or desirable trees thus reducing the diversity of the ecosystem. The following trees shall be considered invasive. ... Tree of Heaven / Ailanthus altissima ...
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Article 11.11 of the Westland Zoning Ordinance defines 'invasive tree' as a non-native, undesirable species that crowds out natives and reduces ecosystem diversity, and lists Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) by name among the invasive species alongside buckthorn, Norway maple, and several willows and poplars. Because it's on that list, Tree of Heaven can't qualify as a 'protected tree' under section 11.11.3.d, and its removal is expressly exempt from the survey, review, and replacement-planting requirements that apply to protected and landmark trees, under the invasive-tree exemption in section 11.11.4.j. Property owners may remove it without a tree-removal permit. Adopted with the citywide zoning rewrite, Ord. No. 248, effective Jan. 1, 2025.
Violations & Fines
None for removal. Tree of Heaven's invasive designation exempts it from Article 11.11 review. Owners who instead try to count it as a protected or landmark tree during site plan review will have it excluded from DBH and replacement calculations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to remove a Tree of Heaven in Westland?
Does Tree of Heaven count toward Westland's protected-tree limits?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Westland
Compare Westland to another location·View the Michigan invasive plant rules overview
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Tree-of-Heaven Removal in Nearby Cities
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