A plant lover I work with by the name of Delisa mentioned to me that her son was working with Ailanthus altissima in New York, and that I should see what I can find about that plant in that state. One of the first articles I found was from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation that focused on an invasive insect called Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula). That moth has a bright orange color to warn predators that it's toxic, and it obtains that toxic characteristic from the Tree of Heaven...
That led me to another article that studied what alkaloids could be isolated from the root bark of Tree of Heaven. My plan now is to find other plants that contain similar alkaloids and if there are any reports related to medical issues caused by being exposed to the sap. I also plan to make a list of all articles I've found along my journey in making this blog.
- James Conrad Moore
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