The tree has been introduced from East Asia, where it grows rapidly in disturbed areas, to the US and Canada where it has been planted. Now considered invasive in some states, it has escaped from cultivation and spread. Its ability to sprout from adventitious buds on stems and roots allows it to survive tough conditions such as fires, cutting and even bulldozing in construction areas. This is also why it is often found colonizing on rocky cliffs and scoured riparian zones. Historical records as early as the 3rd century B.C. describe the tree’s medicinal, ornamental and timber uses in China. It has also been cultivated for centuries in Japan, where it serves in many traditions.