General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Shrub
Tree
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Dry Mesic
Dry
Soil pH Preferences: Slightly acid (6.1 – 6.5)
Neutral (6.6 – 7.3)
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 3 -40 °C (-40 °F) to -37.2 °C (-35)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 8b
Plant Height: 15 to 20 feet, to 50 feet is rarely possible in wild
Leaves: Good fall color
Deciduous
Fruit: Showy
Edible to birds
Fruiting Time: Late summer or early fall
Fall
Late fall or early winter
Winter
Flowers: Inconspicuous
Flower Color: Orange
Red
Yellow
Flower Time: Late spring or early summer
Underground structures: Rhizome
Suitable Locations: Beach Front
Xeriscapic
Uses: Windbreak or Hedge
Dye production
Culinary Herb
Will Naturalize
Edible Parts: Fruit
Flowers
Eating Methods: Tea
Culinary Herb/Spice
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Birds
Other Beneficial Insects
Resistances: Deer Resistant
Rabbit Resistant
Drought tolerant
Salt tolerant
Toxicity: Leaves are poisonous
Roots are poisonous
Propagation: Seeds: Self fertile
Pollinators: Bees
Containers: Not suitable for containers
Miscellaneous: Tolerates poor soil
Dioecious
Conservation status: Least Concern (LC)

Conservation status:
Conservation status: Least Concern
Image
Common names
  • Staghorn Sumac
  • Velvet Sumac
  • Sumac
  • Stag's Horn Sumach
Botanical names
  • Accepted: Rhus typhina
  • Synonym: Rhus typhina var. laciniata
  • Synonym: Rhus hirta
  • Synonym: Rhus americana

Photo Gallery
Location: Cache Valley
Date: 2016-10-17

Date: 2012-10-13
Location: Twisp
Date: October

Date: 2018-11-10
Location: Apple Valley MN
Date: 2017-12-28
Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2019-01-22
Location: Crete - Rethymno
Date: 2022-06-02
I assume a garden escape
Location: Maine
Date: 2014-10-02
Location: Toronto Ontario Canada
Sumac
Location: University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Date: 2023-11-16

Date: 2018-11-10
Location: Kew Gardens
Date: 2017-10-09
Location: University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Date: 2019-03-07
Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2010-07-31
a group or colony in summer
Location: Twisp
Date: 2014-10-18
Location: Opp, AL  Z8b
Date: 2014-07-16
Gettysburg PA

Date: 2014-10-15
Location: Twisp
Date: December
Location: Botanical Garden of Berlin
Date: 2017-07-27
Location: Kew Gardens
Date: 2017-10-09
Location: Poland - Brodnicki Park
Date: 2015-04-14
Location: Kew Gardens
Date: 2017-10-09
Location: Chicago
Date: 2020-06-23
Location: Crete - Rethymno
Date: 2022-06-02
I assume a garden escape
Location: Twisp
Date: October
Location: Northeastern Indiana - Natural Environment
Date: Jul 8, 2010 9:17 PM
Location: Maine
Date: Sept. 2020
Location: central Illinois (Sangchris State Park)
Date: 2015-10-13
Location: Gause, Texas
Date: 2019-07-21
Growing wild on the access lane to our rural property.
Location: Nationale Plantentuin Meise (Botanical Garden near Brussels)
Date: 2014-10-06
Location: Nationale Plantentuin Meise (Botanical Garden near Brussels)
Date: 2018-06-24

Date: 2012-07-04

Date: 2014-10-15

Date: 2012-10-13

Date: 2012-10-13
Location: Fairfax, VA | May, 2023
Location: Noble, Oklahoma
Date: Autumn
Location: Twisp
Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2010-07-03
two red fruit spikes
Location: Exton, Pennsylvania
Date: 2010-10-25
a colony along highway starting to color for fall
Location: Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Date: winter in 1980's
winter stems and fruit clusters

Date: 2012-06-04

Date: 2012-06-04

Date: 2012-06-04
Location: Athol, MA
Date: 2017-07-09
Location: Athol, MA
Date: 2017-07-09
Location: Athol, MA
Date: 2017-07-09
Location: Athol, MA
Date: 2017-07-09
Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2019-06-02
a flower cluster
Location: stamford CT
Location: Skaneateles Conservation Area
photo credit: R. A. Nonenmacher
Location: Gause, Texas
Date: 2019-07-21

Date: 2012-07-04
Location: Twisp
The bones of early spring

Date: 2014-10-15
Location: Fort Worth, Tx
Date: 2014-05-22
Location: Fort Worth, Tx
Date: 2014-05-22
Location: Northeastern Indiana - Natural Environment
Date: Sep 26, 2011 3:46 PM
Fall Coloration
Location: Vaughan, ON, Canada
Date: 2012-10-05

Date: 2012-10-13
Fall Color

photo credit: Silar
Location: Noble, Oklahoma
Date: Autumn
Striking red foliage
Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2018-06-20
female colony with fruit developing
Location: Denver CO Metro
Date: 2010-10-05
Frost kissed leaves.. they're absolutely gorgeous.
Location: Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois
Date: summer in 1980's
full-grown tree-shrub at building
Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2010-07-03
foliage and flower-fruit clusters
Location: IL
Date: 2012-10-05
Location:  Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville, IL
Date: October in 1980's
colony in autumn color
Location: Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Date: October in 1980's
a tree form in autumn color

Date: 2012-06-04

Date: 2012-06-04

Date: 2012-06-04
Female bloom

Date: 2012-06-04
Male on left....female on right

Date: 2012-06-04
Female tree in front....male in back

Date: 2012-06-04
Very invasive..here is one sprouting

Date: 2012-06-04
Male flower....Sumac have both
Location: central Illinois
Date: fall 2011
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2012-09-24
Lake Sanchris
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2012-09-25
Lake Sangchris
Location: Hollis, New Hampshire
Date: August 11, 2013
Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2019-06-02
a colony in bloom
Location: Denver Metro, CO
Date: 2012-09-17
In my back yard
Location: Skaneateles Conservation Area
photo credit: R. A. Nonenmacher
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2012-09-19

Date: 2014-10-15

Date: 2014-10-15
Location: Fort Worth, Tx
Date: 2014-05-22
Location: Fort Worth, Tx
Date: 2014-05-22
Location: KALAMA WA
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Northeastern Indiana - Natural Environment
Date: Jan 9, 2011 11:03 AM
Location: Denver Metro CO
Date: 2013-05-13
Winter dormant.
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date: 2011-09-30
fall colour
This plant is tagged in:
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Comments:
  • Posted by ILPARW (southeast Pennsylvania - Zone 6b) on Jan 5, 2018 12:15 PM concerning plant:
    Staghorn Sumac is a common species in upland locations, especially liking hills and slopes, as along railroad tracks in the wild from Nova Scotia and southeast Canada, New England, all New York & Pennsylvania down the Appalachians to north Georgia, all Ohio, Michigan, & Wisconsin, northern Indiana & Illinois, and eastern Minnesota. It is one of those woody plants that is in between a large shrub and a small tree, usually about 15 to 20 feet high, especially in landscapes, though a few in happy wild locations have been known to get over 50 feet high that I have never seen. It is fast growing of about 3 feet/year when young. Old wood grows slowly and shoots can come up 7 feet/year from the shallow, widespreading root system that ground suckers to form a colony. The colony will eventually stop spreading, especially in landscape situations. It has very stout, dark velvety hairy twigs. The compound leaves are 1 to 2 feet long with 11 to 31 sharply toothed leaflets that turn a fantastic red or orange color in autumn. The female plants bear the large, terminal, velvety spikes of red berries that are loved by many birds and small mammals and which are mature from July through winter. It is grown by some large, diverse nurseries and many native plant nurseries. Very few average homeowners plant it, but landscape designers and architects sometimes love to use it in professional landscapes and in public sites.
  • Posted by threegardeners (Brockville, Ontario, Canada - Zone 5a) on Sep 30, 2011 3:51 PM concerning plant:
    I make a "tea" with the "fruits" of this Sumac.

    Pour boiling water over the red berry clusters. Let sit for 10 minutes then strain (the boiling water kills any bugs/worms).

    You can also put the berry clusters in a pitcher, fill with cold water and steep for a few hours like you'd make ice tea.

    Very fruity tasting, kind of like a mild cranberry lemonade.
    Chock full of vitamin C.

    If your Sumac has white berries DO NOT TRY THIS!!
  • Posted by betsyhowe on Dec 31, 2013 6:43 PM concerning plant:
    As kids in Tennessee we used to pick the ripe berry clusters of the sumac and make tea which was very sour but with lots of sweetener tasted terrific. Is this something considered dangerous? It was supposed to have very high levels of vitaminC and nobody ever got sick. The tea was a lovely pink color like pink lemonade. The berry clusters were kept in paper bags and didn't spoil but did tend to fall apart as they dried, We had sumac tea all winter for colds and loved it. Anyone else familar with sumac tea?
  • Posted by mellielong (Lutz, Florida - Zone 9b) on Apr 23, 2015 11:35 AM concerning plant:
    The book "How to Know the Wildflowers" (1922) by Mrs. William Starr Dana says this is a common sumac which "illuminates our hills-sides every autumn with masses of flame-like color." She notes that this species has crimson fruit plumes whereas the poison sumac has white fruits. She supposes most people assume the common name of Staghorn Sumac refers to the shape of the pryamidal fruit clusters. However, the author believes the name is based upon the forked branches that appear after the leaves fall off.
  • Posted by Skiekitty (Denver Metro - Zone 5a) on Jan 23, 2012 9:11 PM concerning plant:
    Very xeric, easy growing "tree" shrub plant. Can get kinda tall, but very spindly. However, will sucker like MAD!!!! They are sexually dimorphic. Only female trees produce the berries.
  • Posted by JuneOntario (Rosemont, Ont. - Zone 4a) on Dec 31, 2013 9:51 PM concerning plant:
    After touching the leaves and branches of this plant with my bare hands, I had a bad allergic reaction (I had red, painfully itchy skin from my scalp to my feet, my ears and tongue swelled up, I felt nauseated and passed out, and I had a severely upset stomach for several days). Wear gloves when pruning branches, pulling suckers, or collecting-up the leaves of this plant!

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