Title

Staghorn Sumac

(F2205 July, 2024)
File
Publication File:
Lead Author
Lead Author:
Joseph Zeleznik, Ph.D., Extension Forester
Availability
Availability:
Web only
Publication Sections

Table of Contents

General
Scientific Name: Rhus typhina
Family: Anacardiaceae (Cashew)
Hardiness: Zone 4
Leaves: Deciduous
Plant Type: Shrub
Growth
Rate: Medium
Mature Height: >7’
Longevity: Medium
Power Line: Yes
Ornamental
Flowers: Inconspiuous
Fruit: Red hairy drupe
Fall Color: Red

Description

A large, loose, open-spreading shrub with a flattish crown and rather picturesque branches resembling the velvety antlers of a deer, hence the name staghorn. Staghorn sumac has borderline hardiness in North Dakota and may regularly freeze back in winter.

Preferences

Light: Full sun to partial shade.
Water: Slightly less drought tolerant than smooth sumac.
Soil: Adaptable to a wide variety of soil types.

Comments

Best for naturalized areas where it can be allowed to spread via suckers and form colonies. Effective for erosion control when massed on slopes or in hard-to-cover areas with poorer soils.

Can be rejuvenated by cutting the stems back to the ground in late winter.

Cutleaf varieties, including Tiger Eyes® sumac, are available and offer superb texture and better fall coloration but may be marginally hardy.

Credits: Tree Selector Website, North Dakota Tree Handbook, http:// www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx? kempercode=c337

Figure 1
Photo Credit:
Tree Selector Website
Figure 2
Photo Credit:
tree selector website
Figure 3
Photo Credit:
tree selector website