Smooth sumac

Sun

Full sun gives the strongest autumn colour and densest growth; tolerates partial shade.

Water

Water regularly while establishing. Once established, it tolerates drought and usually needs watering only during prolonged dry spells.

Soil

Well-drained soil, including sandy, gravelly, rocky or clay soils; tolerates poor fertility and a broad pH range. Avoid persistently waterlogged ground.

Height

8-15 ft (2.4-4.6 m), occasionally taller

Spread

8-15 ft (2.4-4.6 m), with suckering colonies spreading much farther

Flowers

Small greenish-yellow flowers in upright clusters in late spring to early summer; female plants can develop dense red fruit clusters.

Foliage

Large, feather-like leaves with sharply toothed leaflets; green in summer, turning orange, scarlet or crimson in autumn. Young stems are smooth rather than velvety.

Growth

Fast, especially through root suckers.

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Drought tolerant
• Cold hardy
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   5 ft (1.4 m)

3. After 2 years

   8 ft (2.3 m)

4. After 3 years

   11 ft (3.3 m)

5. After 5 years

   11 ft (3.5 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the US and Canada

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Fast

• Water deeply during dry weather through the first growing season.
• Apply a thin organic mulch, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Do not routinely fertilise; rich feeding encourages excessive growth.
• Remove unwanted root suckers while small, tracing them back to their point of origin where practical.
• Allow room for a colony rather than planting beside small beds or neighbouring boundaries.
• For fruit display, grow female plants with a male plant nearby; seed-grown plants may be either sex.

Pruning. Prune in late winter or early spring, removing dead, damaged and crowded stems at ground level. Established plants can be cut back hard for vigorous foliage growth, but this sacrifices much of that year's flowering and fruit display.

Late winter

Remove dead or crowded stems and reduce the colony if necessary.

Spring

Plant into workable, well-drained ground and water thoroughly.

Late spring

Renew mulch and remove suckers growing beyond the intended planting area.

Summer

Water young plants during dry spells; check established plants only during prolonged drought.

Autumn

Enjoy the leaf colour and leave fruit clusters for birds.

Winter

Inspect the colony's boundaries and plan any thinning before spring growth begins.

• Use in broad drifts on sunny banks where suckering growth can help cover the slope.
• Place behind native grasses and late-flowering perennials for a strong autumn backdrop.
• Plant along a spacious woodland edge, where its foliage provides a transition between trees and meadow.
• Use in wildlife planting where persistent fruit and dense stems provide food and shelter.

Garden styles it suits: Native meadow, Wildlife garden, Rewilded, Autumn colour, Midwest prairie and Desert / xeriscape.

Plant it with: Little bluestem, Switchgrass, Butterfly weed, Purple coneflower, Black-eyed Susan and Aromatic aster.

Wildlife: Flowers attract bees and other insects. Many birds eat the fruit, particularly later in winter when other foods are scarce, and colonies provide cover for birds and small animals. Its greatest wildlife value is within its native North American range.

• Unwanted suckering: remove shoots promptly and mow a surrounding grass strip where appropriate; avoid confined borders.
• Powdery mildew: improve air circulation and avoid crowding; mild late-season infection usually needs no treatment.
• Leaf spots: collect badly affected fallen leaves and avoid overhead watering; established plants generally tolerate minor spotting.
• Root decline in wet soil: improve drainage or move the plant to a better-drained site rather than watering on a fixed schedule.

Smooth sumac is not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. Its red fruits have traditional food uses, but correct identification is essential; do not confuse it with poisonous white-fruited sumacs. Sap or plant handling may irritate sensitive skin.

Where it spreads. Spreads aggressively by root suckers, including in gardens within its native range across much of the United States and southern Canada. Outside North America, including the United Kingdom and Australia, keep colonies contained and check local weed guidance before planting.

• Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina)

  Young stems and leaf stalks are densely velvety-hairy; smooth sumac has hairless young stems.

• Poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix)

  Has smooth-edged leaflets and loose, hanging clusters of pale grey-white fruit, usually in wet ground. Smooth sumac has toothed leaflets and dense, upright red fruit clusters.

• Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima)

  Leaflets are mostly smooth-edged, with gland-bearing teeth near their bases; fruits are winged seeds rather than red berry-like clusters.

The species name glabra means hairless, referring to its smooth young stems, which also give smooth sumac its common name.

Propagation. Lift rooted suckers during dormancy, or take root cuttings in late winter. Seed has a hard coat and dormancy requirements, so seed propagation is slower and less predictable than using suckers.

Accepted botanical name

Rhus glabra

In the US and Canada

Native in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Alabama, Alberta, Arizona, Arkansas, British Columbia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida and Georgia.

Measured

Soil pH 5.3 to 7.5. Average height 175 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.