Plant Preference/Growing Conditions:

Fragrant sumac is best grown in full sun to partial shade and in moist to dry, well-drained soils. They prefer acidic soils but are tolerant of most soil types except for poorly drained areas.

Growth Habit/Description:

Medium-sized deciduous shrub up to 6’ in height and 4-6’ wide with alternate trifoliate leaves.  Leaves are glossy and somewhat blue-green, turning orange, red, and purple in the fall.  Yellowish catkin-like flowers precede dark red berries.  Colonizes to form thickets so best in mass plantings.  Only female plants produce flowers and berries.  Generally a fast-growing species.

Bloom Season:

Tiny yellow flowers bloom at the twig tips in early spring before the foliage appears, making fragrant sumac a good alternative for forsythia.

Fall and/or Winter Interest?

Yes.  Brilliant red-orange fall color, making it a good replacement for non-native burning bush.  Red berries provide winter food for wildlife and can persist until March. 

Host Plant for Caterpillars?

Yes.  Fragrant sumac is a host plant for the red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops) and the spring azure (Celastrina ladon).

Other Known Ecological Value?

Yes.   The leaves and twigs are browsed by deer.  Berries provide winter food for birds and other wildlife.  The nectar and pollen attract primarily Halictid bees (including green metallic bees), Andrenine bees, cuckoo bees (Nomada spp.), and Syrphid flies.  Small carpenter bees burrow into the stems to nest.  Many other insects feed on sumacs, including the larvae of long-horned beetles, larvae of gall flies, plant bugs, stink bugs, aphids, treehoppers, larvae of Geometer moths, larvae of owlet moths, and larvae of prominent moths.  See list here. 

Origin of Name:  Leaves and twigs are aromatic when bruised.

Related Plant Species:   Fragrant sumac is smaller and less aggressive than is relatives Rhus glabra (smooth sumac) and Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac).  Its trifoliate leaves resemble those of its relative poison ivy (Rhus radicans) but are smaller in size and non-toxic to humans.  

Use For Food/Medicine:

An infusion has been used in the treatment of dysentery and also as a gargle for sore throats. Its use is contraindicated if inflammation is present.

Klingaman, Gerald.  c 1999.   Fayetteville (AR):   University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.  Extension News.  Plant of the Week:  Sumac, Fragrant.  [Cited 2023, Sept 5].   Available from:  https://www.uaex.uada.edu/yard-garden/resource-library/plant-week/fragrant-sumac.aspx

Hilty, John. c 2002-2020.  Illinois Wildflowers.  Fragrant Sumac  [Cited 2023, Sept 5].  Available from:  https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/savanna/plants/fragrant_sumac.htm#:~:text=Fragrant%20Sumac%20(Rhus%20aromatica)&text=Description%3A%20This%20woody%20shrub%20is,low%20shrub%20with%20spreading%20branches

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center Plant Database.  Austin (TX):   University of Texas--Austin.   Rhus aromatica.  [Cited 2023, Sept 5].   Available from:  https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=rhar4