• Specie: Ailanthus
• Location: Hill Road Playground

Ailanthus are beautiful trees. The specie’s ‘compound’ leaves grow on two sides of long graceful stems that meet in hubs, forming clusters at the end of branches. The effect, with numerous coming together, renders the tree.much like exploding fireworks on New Year’s eve.

I have to admit that the effect is pretty stunning and stunningly pretty at the same time. The trick is you have to look up, which pays tribute to the tree’s other namesake as the ‘tree of heaven.’

That said, it is more probable that the specie got its name for any reason. According to historical data, the tree has a long established place in Chinese medicine as a cure-all for many ailments, including mental illness, which perhaps explains its supernatural reference.

These group of ailanthus trees can be found inside the Hill Road Garden on Hill Road linking Shek Tong Tsui and Pokfulum Road. These distinct and gorgeous trees can also found along Kings Road in North Point. Several have also just been planted outside Hysen Place in Causeway Bay.

So next time you are in those areas, look up, you might just spot a piece of heaven, right here in our city.

Categories:Ailanthus, parks and gardens, Street trees, treelover, urbantrees, Urbantrees of Hong KongTags: Ailanthus, central and western, gardens, hill road, Urban tree of Hong Kong