flameleaf sumac
Rhus copallinum
USDA zones4 to 9
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size7 to 15 feet tall10 to 20 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Greenish
- Foliage color
- Green
- Fall color
- Yes
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Flameleaf sumac (Rhus copallinum) is a shrub for borders, hedges, naturalized areas, and meadows. It is hardy to USDA zone 4, or down to -30°F (-34°C). This plant likes full or part sun and dry to moist soil of most types. It often forms thickets, so give it plenty of room. Glossy green leaves turn reddish-purple in fall, and red fruit clusters last through winter. Deer and rabbits tend to browse other plants first.
Pairs well with Little bluestem, Indian grass, New Jersey tea, and Red cedar.
Native range
Eastern United States.