Rhus copallinum
Common Names: R. copallina (syn.), Shining sumac, Winged sumac
Family: Anacardiaceae (cashew Family)
tree Shrub Attracts Birds Fast Growing Drought Tolerant Easy to grow
- great for beginners! Provides Autumn Color
Description
Winged sumac is a fast growing and short lived deciduous shrub or
small tree getting up to about 20 ft (6.1 m) tall with an irregular
crown spreading to 10 ft (3.1 m) or so. The leaves are alternate,
pinnately compound, about 1 ft (0.3 m) long with 9-23 leaflets. The
rachis (leaf stem) is winged between the leaflets. Stems and twigs
are densely pubescent (covered with short soft hairs). Greenish
yellow flowers appear in spring, summer and fall. The flowers are
tiny, but packed in showy terminal clusters 6-10 in (15.2-25.5 cm)
long. The fruits appear in fall and persist through much of the
winter even after the leaves have fallen. These small red pubescent
drupes are hung handsomely in big beautiful clusters against the
colorful autumn foliage. Winged sumac often forms thickets and a
mass in bloom or in fruit makes a memorable sight.
By late summer the fruits have formed. When mature they'll
provide an important source of wintertime food for songbirds and
other wildlife. Click to download a large version (800x600).
Location
Winged sumac occurs in dry woods, sandhills, roadsides, abandoned
fields and disturbed areas in the eastern US from southeastern
Maine, west to Michigan, and south to Texas and Florida.
Culture
Light: Grows in full sun to partial sun.
Moisture: Highly drought tolerant.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 5 - 11 .
Propagation: By division of the suckers and by seed.
winged summac bush
Winged sumac is spread by birds who consume the fruits and then
relieve themselves of the seeds along fences and beneath utility
wires where new plants regularly appear. If you neaten them up with
an occasional trimming and thinning they are especially pretty.
Usage
Winged sumac is a good choice for low maintenance or xeriscape
landscaping. It is easy to transplant and easy to care for. It grows
well on sandy, infertile soils. It usually is planted in informal
landscapes or wildlife gardens where it may spread by underground
runners to form a shrubby thicket for songbirds and other wildlife.
Its showy fall foliage provides an added benefit. Winged sumac grows
well in urban areas where air pollution, poor drainage and compacted
soil prevent most small trees from surviving. It is used in buffer
strips, highway medians and reclamation projects.
Features
The leaves turn brilliant orange red in fall before they drop. The
fruits are relished by many kinds of birds. Native Americans used
the roots of winged sumac to treat dysentery and made a dye from the
berries. |
