2026 Availability- Expected pickup date is April 27th
Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra) is a vigorous, deciduous plant that can be grown as a small specimen tree or an open, spreading shrub. Its shiny, compound green leaves turn bright, brilliant shades of orange and red in the fall. Inconspicuous green/yellow flowers turn into large, cone-shaped, fuzzy red fruit on female shrubs. Smooth Sumac is a suckering shrub and can spread aggressively if left unchecked. Plants that are less stressed will sucker less, so give enough water and do not remove more than 1/3 of the plant when pruning. Regularly remove suckers by pruning them off the base of the main trunk, or digging them up. Smooth Sumac can be shaped as a specimen tree (easier to prune suckers and control), or be allowed to form a privacy thicket or hedge in a large area. It is tolerant of urban pollution.
Smooth Sumac
Irrigation Requirement: Low (1/2" every 10-14 days) to Moderate (1/2" every 7-10 days)
Mature Size: 9 - 15' tall and wide
Bloom Colors: Inconspicuous
Bloom Season: June
Hardiness Zone: 3 - 9
Light Requirement: Full Sun to Partial Shade (colors will be brighter in full sun)
Deer Resistant: No
Salt Tolerant: Unknown
Soils: Tolerates sand, loam, or clay soils as long as they are well-drained.
Plants in the Rhus genus are host species for 9 known native pollinators in northern Utah. Smooth Sumac also provides berries for birds, and cover and habitat for birds and other animals.