Chun Pi

Ailanthus altissima, the tree-of-heaven, is a fast-growing deciduous tree in the family Simaroubaceae, native to northern and central China and Taiwan and widely introduced (and invasive) across North America, Europe, and Australasia. Mature trees reach 15–25 m with smooth grey bark and stout pithy twigs bearing large alternate odd-pinnate leaves 30–90 cm long with 11–25 ovate-lanceolate leaflets, each with one or two glandular basal teeth that emit a strong unpleasant odor when crushed. The species is dioecious; flowers are small, yellow-green, in large terminal panicles, and the fruit is a twisted reddish samara about 4 cm long with the seed in the center. Chun Pi is the dried bark of the root or trunk, scraped of outer corky layer, sliced, and sun-dried. In TCM it is bitter, astringent, and cold, clearing damp-heat and astringing the intestines and lower jiao to stop chronic dysentery, vaginal discharge, and uterine bleeding.