| Description | Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica) is a medium to large shrub that forms a dense tangle mass of stems. Good for naturalizing on difficult sites. |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | (ROOS or RH-us))(a-row-MAT-ik-ah) |
| Plant Type | Shrubs Deciduous |
| Hardiness Zone | 3-9 |
| Sunlight | full, with stands some shade |
| Moisture | average, tolerates dry |
| Soil & Site | Very adaptable, prefers acidic soil but tolerates most. |
| Flowers | Small yellow flowers appear before the leaves. Female flowers grow on short panicles, while male flowers are found in catkins. |
| Fruit | The female flowers produce clusters of red fruit called drupes. |
| Leaves | Trifoliate leaves are glossy on their upper surfaces and covered in fine hairs on their lower surfaces. They appear green during the growing season but may turn red or orange in the fall. However, the fall coloration can be inconsistent; when it does occur, it is pretty dramatic. Additionally, the foliage releases a fragrant aroma when crushed. |
| Stems | Young stems are brown, pubescent, woody, zig-zag form, and spreading. They develop a gray color with age. Stems can root when touching the soil. |
| Dimensions | A scrambling spreading shrub reaching 5-6 feet tall by 6-10 feet spread. It spreads by root suckers and forms colonies and thickets. |
| Maintenance | can be rejuvenated by hard pruning |
| Propagation | seeds, cuttings |
| Native Site | Native to North America from eastern Canada to Mexico. |
| Misc Facts | The fruit can be made into a tea that tastes like lemon, the genus name. Rhus is an old Greek name for Sumac or rhous. The species aromatic means fragrant. |
| Notes & Reference | #01-Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (Michael Dirr), #270-North Carolina Extension Gardener Tool Box (https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants) |
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