Rhus Species, Rocky Mountain Sumac, Smooth Sumac, Upland Sumac

Grows wild here along with Rhus copallinum, and what appears to be a type that is in between the two, most likely the result of hybridiza...Read Moretion. I like the way sumac looks with its tropical leaves, but I dont like the way the seeds look, I wonder if cutting them down to the ground each year would keep them from seeding, and make the leaves bigger?

It is a wonderful native shrub in eastern NA. The female plants bear red fruit for birds and other wildlife and it gets a wonderful red f...Read Moreall color like its big sister of Staghorn Sumac that is very hairy instead of hairless. The birds did plant a few in my backyard in my woody plant borders and I left a few there. It is one of the native shrubs that is doing alright after all the big invasion from Eurasian shrubs as Common Buckthorn, Amur Honeysuckle, Autumnolive, Multiflora Rose and some others that are not eaten by deer as sumac are not.

This is my very most favorite shrubby tree, beautifully primeval, with a wild, almost tropical appeal. So very, very lovely! Besides th...Read Moree appeal for birds, etc, this plant provides wonderful cover for smaller wildlife, sheltering with filtered sun on searing hot days, and colonies are a great hide from hawks, etc., just for starters!! Serious fun to play under, or walk through, as well, like a special wonderland!
They are just astonishingly beautiful in groupings, covering hillsides and what might otherwise be awkward sightings.
They grow in the wild very near me, at the tops of cliffs, and down hillsides...and I must leave it to those special areas for enjoyment!!~I made the mistake of allowing a seedling to grow in the back of my suburban yard, yes, they truly do colonize RAPIDLY when happy! (oops, there went 1/4 of the yard in just 3 months)
But you can't beat it, should you have a few acres with land to spare, or a patch of land which you wish to keep 'au naturale', or rangy cliffs and hillsides to root down.

But plan on a beautiful midsize-large ht shrub forest, when planted in a suburban yard ;)

Still my favorite!!

just FYI it's Staghorn Sumac or Rhus typhina that you are able to make a kind of lemonade out of. The alkaloid content of Smoothe is dif...Read Moreferent, bitter and not very good for you! That being said, it won't get eaten by rabbits or deer, yay! I mean what else are you going to grow on the prairie in pure clay or rocky soil? And yes, this is indeed native to all 48 lower states, obviously not to EVERY corner of the state, for example you wont find it in the mojave desert; but it does have an impressive range. Best for naturalizing areas, or in a 'wild' garden where it can form an attractive multi trunked shrub/tree. or in a conventional garden in impossible conditions.