Native Sumacs: Providers of Drama and Sustenance

Autumn foliage in New England is a highly anticipated spectacle that draws tourists to our region from around the world. Native sumacs, with leaves blazing in shades of orange, red and gold, are among the showiest of fall divas.

New England has four native sumacs ranging in size from groundcover to small tree. The largest is staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) which generally grows 10-18 feet tall but can reach up to 30 feet. Its common name derives from the velvety texture of its young stems suggestive of developing stag antlers. Smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) has smooth bark while winged sumac (Rhus copallinum) has especially shiny leaves and stems with leafy green ridges or “wings.” Both reach about 8-12 feet in height. All three of these sumacs share a strong resemblance. Upright and multi-stemmed in habit, they have long pinnate leaves composed of a central stem lined with 7 to 31 dark green, lance-shaped leaflets. The fourth, fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica), looks a bit different. At 2-6 feet high, it is the shortest of the sumacs. Its pinnate leaves have only three leaflets which are rounder in shape and scalloped along their edges. “Gro-Low,” a cultivar of fragrant sumac selected for its shorter stature, is the most widely available sumac in horticulture. Low and sprawling with dark green, aromatic leaves, “Gro-Low” is frequently employed as a tough groundcover on sunny exposed sites.

Sumacs are easy to grow as long as they are planted in sunny, well-drained locations. Early colonizers of open, disturbed ground like roadsides, they tolerate salt, heat, drought and poor soil, and thus are good candidates for difficult spots such as hell strips, parking islands, or erosion prone slopes. Be warned: sumacs have a strong tendency to sucker and form colonies so take that into consideration when you decide where to plant them. 

However, if you enjoy pruning or training plants, these are fun candidates. Due to their vigor they respond well to being cut back and can be shaped in various ways. The larger sumacs can be pruned to take on the habit of a small single-stemmed tree, a multi-stemmed tree, or a copse of leggy shrubs. Cutting back the stems every few years keeps the plants shorter and denser. Leaving their trunks alone will limit suckering. When cut down at the base, sumacs will regenerate with numerous suckers and can be encouraged to form a grove or hedge. 

Often regarded as weedy, these architecturally distinctive plants deserve more aesthetic appreciation. With their crooked trunks and stiffly forking branches, they have picturesque silhouettes. Many have very large (up to two feet long!) composite leaves. These leaves are composed of oppositely paired, drooping leaflets arranged along a stem with one odd leaflet at the tip. This arrangement, reminiscent of palm and fern fronds, gives them a tropical flair. Panicles of light yellow flowers develop at stem tips in the spring. In female plants these panicles transform into conical clusters of red berries. These ripen in late summer and often persist, adorning the tips of sumac branches throughout the fall and winter months. And, come autumn, sumacs transform into fiery scarlet, orange and yellow beacons in the landscape.

Sumacs are also high in ecological value, providing excellent cover and food for all sorts of wildlife. Their pithy stems serve as habitat for tunnel nesting native bees, while their foliage provides food for the larvae of over fifty species of caterpillars, which are in turn valuable bird food. Their nectar-rich flowers are visited by butterflies, bees, wasps, and flies. Crimson sumac berries feed small mammals and are an important food source for overwintering and migrating birds. 

As a bonus, they can provide sustenance for us too! Crush and steep sumac berries in cool or room temperature water (around 1 cup berries to 2 cups water) for several hours or up to several days. Strain and add sugar to taste. Raise a refreshingly astringent glass of bright red sumac lemonade or “rhus juice,” and enjoy!