What’s that red in the woods? Sumac, most likely.
“It’s a harbinger,” said Julie Janoski, Plant Clinic Manager at The Morton Arboretum. “When you see those first scarlet sumac leaves, you know autumn is coming.”
Seen close up, sumac shrubs are distinctive and somewhat exotic-looking, often with large fronds of leaves and fuzzy red fruits. Yet several species are native to the Midwest and are often seen by roadsides or along hiking trails, while other species are native to the Middle East, China and Pacific islands.
Some sumac species are knee-high shrubs, but others can grow 25 feet high and wide. “If you’re considering planting sumac in a garden, make sure you choose an appropriate species for your site,” Janoski said. “For example, you would need a very large yard to accommodate a staghorn sumac.”
All sumacs tend to spread by suckering, so it’s best to plant them where they have space and won’t interfere with other plants. “If you don’t have that much room, it might be fun to plant one of the smaller sumacs in a large container,” she said. “You’d want to choose young plants of one of the smaller cultivated varieties, and replace them in a couple of years when they get too big.”
Sumacs need full sun and well-drained soils (some can be seen thriving in pure sand in the Indiana Dunes). There are male and female sumac plants, and you need both — or at least have the opposite sex somewhere in the neighborhood — for the female plants to be pollinated and produce the red fruits.
Here are some sumacs native to the Chicago region and the Midwest:
Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) is the largest native sumac, growing up to 25 feet high and almost as wide with an open, rangy form. It has large green leaf fronds that turn orange and red in fall, and female plants may have upright clusters of velvety red fruit that often persist into winter. A cultivated variety called Laciniata has finely cut leaves. The Tiger Eyes cultivar of staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina ‘Bailtiger’) is a dwarf selection, growing only about 6 feet high, whose fernlike golden summer leaves turn shades of orange in fall. It spreads somewhat less aggressively than the straight species.
Smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) is similar to staghorn sumac but slightly smaller (only 10 to 15 feet high). Its leaf fronds are more slender and delicate. “Smooth sumac spreads swiftly, so it may not be the best plant for most yards,” Janoski said.
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Shining sumac (Rhus copallina) is also known as flame-leaf sumac for its vivid fall color. It’s a large shrub that can grow to reach 10 to 15 feet with fronds of smooth, slender, shiny leaves that are dark green until they turn red. The large native species only grows in sandy, acid soil, but there is a more compact cultivar that tolerates a wider range of soils: Prairie Flame shining sumac (Rhus copallina var. latifolia ‘Morton’), which grows only to about 7 feet tall.
Fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica) is a low-growing shrub, about 2 to 4 feet high, that suckers to form dense thickets. The glossy green leaves turn brilliant red in fall. It’s a sturdy, tolerant plant that can handle part-shade as well as full sun. “Fragrant sumac can be attractive in a garden, if you have a place where you can let it spread,” Janoski said. “It might do well along a driveway, for example.” A popular cultivated variety is Gro-low (Rhus aromatica ‘Gro-low’).
Poison-sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) gives sumacs a bad name, although it isn’t actually a kind of sumac. A shrub native to the Midwest and Southeast, it contains the same irritating oil as poison ivy. “None of the native sumac species are harmful,” Janoski said.
For tree and plant advice, contact the Plant Clinic at The Morton Arboretum (630-719-2424, mortonarb.org/plant-clinic, or [email protected]). Beth Botts is a staff writer at the Arboretum.