Native Plant Database

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Pinnate
Size Class: 6-12 ft.
Leaf Shape: Lanceolate
Leaf Venation: Pinnately Veined
Leaf Margin: Serrate
Breeding System: Dioecious
Fruit Type: Drupe
Size Notes: Shrub or small tree to 10 feet.
Leaf Color: Green
Autumn Foliage: yes
Fruit Length: 1/8 inch
Fruit Color: Red, Brown

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Yellow , Green , Brown
Bloom Time: May , Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: AL , AZ , AR , CA , CO , CT , DE , FL , GA , ID , IL , IN , IA , KS , KY , LA , ME , MD , MA , MI , MN , MS , MO , MT , NE , NV , NH , NJ , NM , NY , NC , ND , OH , OK , OR , PA , RI , SC , SD , TN , TX , UT , VT , VA , WA , WV , WI , WY , DC
Canada: AB , BC , MB , NB , NS , ON , PE , QC , SK
Native Distribution: ME to FL, w. to B.C., e. OR, NV & Mex.
Native Habitat: Roadsides; fields; wood borders; waste places
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil pH: Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
Cold Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Most dry soils. Sandy, Sandy Loam Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay, Caliche type
Conditions Comments: This is the dominant sumac of blackland prairies. Plants of Rocky Mountain origin are usually separated into the variety cismontana. This dwarf variety is becoming popular in cultivation. In a planned landscape, the species is most effective when drifts or colonies, typical of natural settings, are allowed to establish. Colonies can be rejuvenated every few years by cutting them to the ground in mid-winter. Sumacs will grow in dry waste areas, such as impossible slopes where even junipers struggle. They are fast growing, generally pest and disease-free, and drought-tolerant. Colonies are often single-sexed, formed from a single, suckering parent. Only female plants produce flowers and berries.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: The seeds remain firmly attached for a long time without noticeable deterioration and are often used in large decorative arrangements.
Use Wildlife: Consumed by birds of many kinds and small mammals, mainly in winter. Deer browse the twigs and fruit throughout the year.
Use Food: Raw young sprouts were eaten by the Indians as salad. The sour fruit, mostly seed, can be chewed to quench thirst or prepared as a drink similar to lemonade.
Use Medicinal: Boiled fruit as a remedy for pianful menstruation and blood diarrhea. Diuretic. Roots and berries steeped to make wash for sores. Internal as a tea and externally as a wash for female complaints. (Kindscher)
Use Other: Roots make yellow dye. Mixed with tobacco to smoke. (Kindscher)
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Birds , Butterflies
Larval Host: Hairstreak butterfly

Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds
Description: Plant scarified and stratified seed 1/3-3/4 in. deep. Sumac is most commonly propagated by early winter root division. Place root cuttings in flats of moist sand.
Seed Treatment: Acid scarify one to three hours, then stratify immediately for 30 days at 41 degrees.
Commercially Avail: yes

PlantWise: Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants

Rhus glabra (Smooth sumac) is a PlantWise native alternative for:

   Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven)
   Euonymus alatus (burningbush)
   Schinus terebinthifolius (Brazilian peppertree)
   Sorbus aucuparia (European mountain ash)

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Question: Hi! I have one (big!) bed in on the front of my house. Due to the way the house/motorcourt is built, that area (when it rains as much as it did last year!) doesn't drain well. I now have to replace some of my 'back ground' bedding plants. I am looking for something that grows 6-8 feet, and is evergreen. That part of the bed is in shade in the morning, but receives afternoon sun (not direct sun, however). It would also be good if it didn't require much water, as we are trying (very hard) to limit watering (for ecological reasons). All other plants (that survived) are native Texas plants. Bonus points if it has some time of color (berries, flowers, or changing leaves). I hope I haven't asked for too much!
click here to view the full question and answer

Question: Hello, we live west of Ft Worth. We are looking for tall plants to form a visual screen along a chain link fence we share with a neighbor. We have post oaks there and it is very shady and the ground is sandy and sloping. Our neighbor has planted eleagnus along her side but it is only a few feet tall. The fence line is about 100 feet long and we would like a variety of native plants 6 to 10 foot tall. Can you suggest anything?
click here to view the full question and answer

Bibliography

Edible wild plants of the prairie : an ethnobotanical guide (1987) Kindscher, K.
Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest (1991) Miller, G.O.
* Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.
* Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
* Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller
Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender
Trees of Central Texas (1984) Vines, R. A.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Additional resources

USDA: Find Rhus glabra in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Rhus glabra in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Rhus glabra