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The Cutting Garden

Sumac Question

18 years ago

The sumac around here have some nice lime green buds on them. Has anyone used them in this immuture state. I know in the fall they turn a browinish color and the folage is bright and redish. I plan to use them in the fall but want to know if anyone has experence with them the way they are now.

Thanks,

Patty

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Comments (2)

anniew
18 years ago
It was always my understanding that the greenish/white ones were the poisonous sumac while the red ones were the non-poisonous ones that people use for making tea. Better check a reference before picking.
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Patty_WI
Original Author
18 years ago
The type I'm interested in is smooth sumac Rhus glabra. The flowers of this plant grow in clusters three to five inches long. Flowers are yellow (more a lime green) and bloom in June and July.

Once the flowers have died, fruits grow in their place. Smooth Sumac fruits are bright red berries. They grow in a cluster shaped like a pyramid.

Have any of you used the flowers or just the berries in the fall?

Patty
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I have a VERY similar plant I purchased under the name "Tiger Eyes". To me it is an unusual growing shrub. Each year the foliage is further and further up the trunks. With some pruning it could probably be turned into "a Japanese Maple type tree". Mine are what, five or so feet tall, perhaps four wide? They do sucker. Not crazy but I bet I have seen a dozen over two or three or four years. I have tried with poor results to separate and grow the suckers. No berries or flowers yet. There are tinges of red in the stressed foliage giving me hints of EXCELLENT fall color. It just never develops though. Mine probably get six to eight hours of sun and are planted mid slope on my gentle hill.
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I've tried them several times and didn't have too much trouble with them shedding but they don't seem to hold their color very well. They are such a vibrant red in the outdoors but don't look that red in an arrangement. Cutting them early in the season might be the answer. The branches are difficult to arrange. But, give them a try, you might like the results.
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Based on the information given any sumac will work. Our favorite for overall foliage effect is Rhus copallina 'Prairie Flame' (the one you are thinking of going with). It will easily reach 6' given 4 or 5 years in the ground. Your best bet is to use them as prune-back plants where you either cut them all the way to the ground each season (they will be 3-5' tall by the end of the year) or let a colony form and selectively cut out the taller stems as needed to maintain the colony at the size you want it. 'Tiger Eyes' is another good selection although fall color can be variable here in Iowa. 'Prairie Flame' is always a great mix of red and orange. Keep in mind it is one of the last plants to leaf out and loses its leaves pretty quickly in the fall. Any of the cut-leaf forms will also work well. Good luck!
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