Wild Wednesday

This week is going to be the start of Wild Wednesdays. It will be based on some random fact I found interesting that some people may have no idea is true. Today my focus will be on a tree I never even knew existed until just a couple years ago. Its genus species name is Ailanthus alitissima, any guesses on what it is? Its' common name is the tree of heaven. Here is a picture of the leaves and twig which has some pretty neat properties.

The interesting part of this tree doesn't come on where its from or how it grows necessarily but of what you can do when you find one. The tree is a highly invasive species and can grow just about anywhere in the midwest, so they really aren't too hard to find. When and if you can find one break off a twig or rip off a hand full of leaves and either scratch off some of the bark or crush up the leaves in your hand and it will smell exactly like you are holding a handful of peanut butter.

I found another blog worth checking out based on wildlife around us, you can find it at http://midwestplants.blogspot.com/.