It is native to western China, but is occasionally encountered in northern European gardens.

The rachis is finely pubescent and is a consistent deep red in colour.

[1] Ailanthus vilmoriniana is sometimes regarded as a separate species, for instance in Flora of China,[2] but other authorities consider A. vilmoriniana a synonym of A. altissima, like The Plant List[3] and International Plant Names Index (IPNI).

[4] Ailanthus vilmoriniana is endemic to China, and then was brought to the United Kingdom by Paul Guillaume Farges.

[5] The downy tree of heaven was first grown in the United Kingdom in 1897, but it is rarely found in gardens within the British Isles.