Rhus typhina- Staghorn Sumac
Description
General: A large, loose, open and spreading shrub with a flat crown and branching that resembles the horns on a male deer. Grows 15 to 25′ and suckers profusely to form large colonies.
Leaves: Alternate and compound pinnate 1 to 2′ long. Each leaf contains 13 to 27 leaflets 2 to 5″ long. Leaves are bright green in the summer with amazing fall color ranging from yellow orange to red and scarlet.
Flower: Large, greenish yellow, dense and hairy panicles 4 to 8″ long. June to July.
Fruit: Densely hairy crimson drupe closely packed into a pyramidal panicle. Late August into late April of the following year.
Attributes: A shrub for massing in waste areas, tough sites, poor soils, embankments, or for naturalizing. Should not be used in shrub borders or as a specimen due to its weedy tendencies and prolific suckering.
Culture
Hardiness: Zones 4-8
Growing Conditions: Dry to medium moisture well drained soils in full sun to part shade. Adaptable to many soil types and is commonly found in sterile soils and along highways.
Maintenance: Leaf spots, rust, powdery mildew, canker, scale and aphids.
Transplanting: Easily transplanted to well-draining soil due to adaptability.
Our Experience
Experience at Great Hill
Staghorn sumac is a wild growing native that grows throughout the woods on Great Hill and its nurseries. While its not a shrub utilized as a specimen, it still holds value in its multi seasonal ornamental features and its ability to beautify even the roughest sites.