<P> In China , the tree of heaven has a long and rich history . It was mentioned in the oldest extant Chinese dictionary and listed in countless Chinese medical texts for its purported ability to cure ailments ranging from mental illness to baldness . The roots , leaves and bark are still used today in traditional Chinese medicine , primarily as an astringent . The tree has been grown extensively both in China and abroad as a host plant for the ailanthus silkmoth , a moth involved in silk production . Ailanthus has become a part of western culture as well , with the tree serving as the central metaphor and subject matter of the best - selling American novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith . </P>
<P> In China , the tree of heaven has a long and rich history . It was mentioned in the oldest extant Chinese dictionary and listed in countless Chinese medical texts for its purported ability to cure ailments ranging from mental illness to baldness . The roots , leaves and bark are still used today in traditional Chinese medicine , primarily as an astringent . The tree has been grown extensively both in China and abroad as a host plant for the ailanthus silkmoth , a moth involved in silk production . Ailanthus has become a part of western culture as well , with the tree serving as the central metaphor and subject matter of the best - selling American novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith . </P>
a tree grows in brooklyn what kind of tree
a tree grows in brooklyn what kind of tree
Ailanthus
Ailanthus