Rhus aromatica ~ Fragrant Sumac

Rhus aromatica ~ Fragrant SumacFragrant Sumac is a native low spreading deciduous shrub with aromatic trifoliate foliage that turns attractive shades of mostly red with some orange and purple in fall. Tiny yellow flowers bloom on the twigs in early spring before the foliage emerges. Male flowers are followed by catkins that last till the next spring, while the female flowers are followed by small clusters of hairy red berries that persist into winter. Best performance with dry to

Fragrant Sumac is a native low-spreading deciduous shrub with aromatic trifoliate foliage that turns attractive shades of mostly red with some orange and purple in fall.  Tiny yellow flowers bloom on the twigs in early spring before the foliage emerges.  Male flowers are followed by catkins that last till the next spring, while the female flowers are followed by small clusters of hairy red berries that persist into winter.  Best performance with dry to medium well-drained acidic soils. 

MAINTENANCE NEEDS:  Low maintenance plant.  Tolerant of most soils, except poorly drained ones.  No serious pests or diseases, but some susceptibility to leaf spot, rust, scale, aphids and mites. 

LANDSCAPE USES:  Accents or Group Plantings, Borders, Naturalized Areas, Woodland Garden, Rock Garden, Foundation Plantings, and containers. 

COMPANION PLANTS: Aster, Blue Mist Spirea, Coneflower

IMAGES: Photo by David J. Stang, Rhus aromatica 12zz, CC BY-SA 4.0, (2) Photo by David J. Stang, Rhus aromatica 11zz, CC BY-SA 4.0, (3) Salicyna, Rhus aromatica 2016-07-19 3276, CC BY-SA 4.0, (4) Salicyna, Rhus aromatica 2016-07-19 3282, CC BY-SA 4.0, (5) Bruce Marlin, Rhus aromatica foliage catkins, CC BY-SA 3.0, (6) Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, Rhus aromatica kz4, CC BY-SA 4.0, (7) Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, Rhus aromatica kz7, CC BY-SA 4.0

*As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown.