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Rhus copallinum
Flameleaf Sumac, Shining Sumac Zones: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Flameleaf or Shining Sumac occurs in every state from the Rocky Mountains east along roads, woods edges, and fields. It is a pioneer species invading open or disturbed areas before other woody plants come in. And in the fall, its foliage color is beyond compare - flaming scarlet, orange, and sometimes burgundy. This semi-woody shrub forms open colonies via root suckering that are 7 to 15 feet tall and 10 to 20 feet wide, tallest in the center, gradually shorter at the edges. The leaves are 18 inches long or so, with opposite leaflets, shiny green in the summer, then blazing scarlet in fall, before dropping off for the winter. Female plants have 12-inch clusters of mid-summer greenish flowers that bear showy, fuzzy maroon fruits in the fall that wildlife adores. Male plants have dark maroon flower clusters. This plant is very coarse in texture and it can grow quite quickly, but in the right place, it can be absolutely stunning. It can be pruned to be a tree or its root suckers can be regularly mowed off. It can be used to stabilize a bank and for erosion control. But when massed, and planted where you can take advantage of back lighting and combined with Plumegrass and late asters, the result is hard to beat. All it needs is full sun and dryish soil. Cat# 1454

Rhus copallinum, Flameleaf Sumac, Shining Sumac
Available: 2009 or later
$10.00 each in quart pots
Add to your shopping cart:  Qty:      


X Native Plant Good Fragrance Butterfly Plant
Hummingbird Plant X Good Fall Color X Berries & Fruits
X Deer resistant
Ease of Culture
X Easy Not Too Hard Difficult or Tricky
Evergreen
Yes Semi X No
Plant Type
Wildflower X Shrub Grass or grass-like
Perennial Tree Ground cover
Fern Vine
Light Exposure
X Full sun X Mostly sunny Half and half
Full shade Mostly shady
Soil Condition
Sandy Organic
X Clay X Average
Moisture Tolerance
X Dry Wet
Moist X Moderate
Height
12" or less
24" to 36"
12" to 24" X 36" or taller
Color
White/whitish Pink Blue
Yellows Rose X Green
Orange, coral Violet Brown
Peach, salmon Lavender Mauve
Red, scarlet Purple Tan
Bloom Time
Early spring Early summer Early fall
Mid spring X Mid summer Mid fall
Late spring Late summer Late fall

We welcome your suggestions and comments. Please tell us how we can improve, or if there are other plants you wish we carried.

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