Staghorn Sumac help

20 years ago

I am hoping someone has some advice for me. I planted a habitat garden in my backyard several years ago...removed all the grass and unfortunately made some mistakes. Did not know enough about natives and chose some very wrong plants. We tore a lot of it out, and have now redesigned using natives. Unfortunately, as we did the front and side yards, in the back I see that sumac is taking over to "reforst" the bare ground.

While I like Sumac and would not mind having it to feed my birds, it is too opportunistic and too large and invasive for my very small yard. So it has got to go. I dug some out and had the roots ground....it came back in new spots with a vengeance.

I am hoping somebody can advise me as to how to eradicate it so I can move forward with my landscaping. While there are lots of native berry plants in the plan, sumac is not one. PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN!! It's taking over!!!

Thanks!

Robin

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

birdgardner
20 years ago
Sounds like the trumpet vine I got rid of - same ranging roots and suckering habit.

Pop off the suckers when you see them, maybe spray the stubs with round-up. It took me five years to get rid of it but it wasn't a whole lot of work or time - no digging, just patrolling for suckers.
rsmallen
Original Author
20 years ago
Thanks birdgardener! I actually got BOTH of your posts...came to thank you after post #1 and the forum was down so I think it gobbled up your first one...but not without mailing it to me first. I appreciate the advice. We DID whack down the "meadow" of young (knee high) sumac this weekend. I have both roundup and brushkiller. I dread having to use the brush killer...read the lable and it's some nasty stuff! So I hope the whacking back and roundup will help. Gosh. They come back ferociously!!!

Trumpet creeper...you know, I have two at my house, and they are both very restrained.

Robin
Related Discussions
Staghorn Sumacs are dying
Q
Comments (20)
I have to be honest with YOU. Staghorn Sumac trees are seen in my area as "weed trees", in other words, they are trees that are seen as being like "weeds". They had been growing wild along the driveway near mine and my neighbors house. AND, somehow Staghorn Sumac seems to have been given more respect from my neighbor, than it should have been given. Even though the Staghorn Sumac is a kinda "Trash tree" of a tree that is REALLY seen as a UNLOVED tree. I really DO welcome that anybody who see's the "Staghorn Sumac" as being a SOURCE of HORRIBLE news about just how much looking into the problems between the actual ":bitching about what is wrong", could ever be able to show the actual conflict about the problems could ever be clear enough to solve the mystery.
...See More
Staghorn Sumac
Q
Comments (14)
"Most "invasive" plants are simply those which are good at colonizing disturbed sites, which describes most urban and suburban areas. That is, after all, their niche in nature. As a site matures into forest, the invasives generally disappear as they can't take the low sunlight or competition of a mature forest." Depends on your definition of invasive, but that statement actually somewhat contradicts the scientific definitions we are usually referring to here on Gardenweb. Here is one simplistic example of a definition I like: Invasive plant - an exotic plant that invades and displaces natives in functioning natural ecosystems. So, it's usually the invasives that are displacing the natives, not the other way around. That's why we call them invasive.
...See More
staghorn sumac - RIP
Q
Comments (21)
Ok, we lost the last game, and since this tournament was decided on points, came in who-knows, as the rest of the teams were playing later, and we came on home. The beans are "Kings Banquet", originally given to me by some folks whose grandparents homesteaded here, and we've looked and researched around earlier - Seed Savers Exchange has this as the only place they've been seen. Maybe it's some other variety, but with a different name, or it well could have been brought in by the Italian migrants to the area, or some other source. I just have no idea. I sent some to Steve a few years ago, and he's still alive. I've sent some to some market farmers out in California, and they say it's a customer favorite. I sure like them. Great fresh, for me, anyway, they have some flavor. They also do a long time on the vine when they're tender, can well, and the dry seeds are good as well. I usually plant them in the same row I do the peas - peas come out, these go in. I'd suggest picking them at different sizes to see what / where you like them the best. As with any pole bean, as long as you pick them, they keep producing. Re multi-colored sorghum, this is fun. The plants look like corn. I dunno how old that seed is, maybe 4 years? Anywho, best results ever were planting 3 seeds per cell about now, germinating them, pinching off all but one, then setting them out after frost about 1 ft spacing, for as much room as you want to devote, but at least a 6 ft by 6 ft plot. I used a 15 - 15 - 15 fertilizer, spread it about 1 pellet per dime, watered well through June and it was established. once in July, once in Aug. Things were over my head. You could also plant them directly about now - just thin them to 1 / sq foot. Re that Salvia grandiflora, again it takes until the 3rd year to get up to knock 'em dead status. So year one and two are establishing the plant. Pinch the shoot tips when they're 6" high. Then again when they're a foot high. That for the first 2 years. The third year, pinch the tips every 6" of growth until either you get fed up with it, or it's August, then watch the show. All good fun ;->. We're up to Grand Junction for another tournament this coming weekend, then we start swimming season.
...See More
Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) in a pot
Q
Comments (7)
Sumac plants are grown in containers commercially. However when a specimen starts suckering these growths will appear at and exit the container where drainage openings are present. Particularly if any of these are located on the sides of the container, as is often the case - at least with nursery pots. Tiger Eyes ('Bailtiger') being a yellow foliage form is a little less vigorous than the typical species. But I wouldn't call it a "dwarf" version, in the usual sense of quite markedly smaller and more compact. There was thread on Garden Web of some length where a variety of experiences with 'Bailtiger' were reported. Presumably a search brings it up.
...See More
birdgardner
20 years ago
Heh, heh. Give them time. Mine were getting in the light fixtures and under the shingles. Don't plant them next to the house, and don't plant them in a garden bed - either plant them in a wild area, up a tree, or in the middle of a lawn where you can mow thirty feet around, on a VERY sturdy fence or trellis.
rsmallen
Original Author
20 years ago
I DO have them pretty far away from the house. Climbing sturdy cedar arbors. Had one climbing a picket fence the landscape guy insisted I remove. And, since I like things climing on the fence he substituted a rugosa...not native...but my side yard is my indulgence yard (anything to make the dogs potty more charming and endurable...!) Those that are in place are about 5 years old...but for the first 3 I cut them back to the ground in very early spring so that may be why they are restrained.

I planted a bignonia on another arbor. It's new this year and only a year old. For now it is VERY small. I hear it can be somewhat brutish as well. We will see. I have my shovel READY!
Robin
john_mo
20 years ago
If you don't want to use more persistent herbicides (and I am sympathetic), it is generally most effective to use roundup (or generc glyphosate) on fresh-cut stumps in early fall, when trees and shrubs are actively moving nutrients into their root systems.

I have used the following technique successfully on autumn olive and bush honeysuckle, but I bet it will work for sumac. Let them grow this summer, cut them in late September (you want them to be still green) and paint the stumps with a solution containig about 10-15% glyphosate. Of course, avoid using the treatment less than 24 hours before rain. This is very effective and has minimal effects on non-target plants.
rsmallen
Original Author
20 years ago
Thanks John! We;ll give it a shot. Heaven knows I have enough of it volunteering...along with some volunteer nasty honeysuckle that comes back like a bad penny!
Robin

Staghorn Sumac help

Comments (6)

birdgardner

rsmallen
Original Author

Related Discussions

birdgardner

rsmallen
Original Author

john_mo

rsmallen
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Staghorn Sumac help

Comments (6)

birdgardner

rsmallenOriginal Author

Related Discussions

birdgardner

rsmallenOriginal Author

john_mo

rsmallenOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

rsmallen
Original Author

rsmallen
Original Author

rsmallen
Original Author