Volunteers Opposing Exotic Trees Of Heaven

Volunteers have planted 13 evergreens and about 60 seedlings at Boise’s Hulls Gulch Nature Preserve, the first volley in a battle against trees of heaven.

“We like to refer to them as ‘trees from hell,”’ said Matt McCoy, director of the nature preserve trust.

Trees of heaven, which are native to China, can grow to be 30 to 40 feet tall and about 2 feet in diameter.

McCoy said their growth patterns push out other vegetation which would provide shade, shelter and food for wildlife. The next step is removing thousands of the exotic trees.

Saturday, volunteers instead planted Colorado blue spruce and ponderosa pines.

Once the evergreens, berry shrubs and seedlings take root, songbirds, rabbits, red-tailed hawks and great horned owls are expected to follow.

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