// SPECIES PROFILE · SHRUB · NATIVE

Smooth Sumac

Rhus glabra

Smooth sumac is the only plant native to all 48 contiguous states — and one of the most spectacular fall-color natives in the country, with foliage that turns electric scarlet weeks before the oaks. Conical clusters of fuzzy red drupes persist into winter.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: Anacardiaceae
Group: shrub
Native range: All 48 contiguous US states; ubiquitous in OK
USDA hardiness: Zones 3–9
Mature size: 8–15 ft
Sun: Full sun
Water: Drought-extremely-hardy
Wildlife value: Conical drupe clusters feed 30+ bird species through winter; pollinator magnet
Ecological role: spectacular fall color · dense pollinator bloom · edible drupes

Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra) — *Rhus glabra*. Photo via Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons.

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Spreads by root suckers into picturesque colonies — great in restoration and naturalized areas, plant in bordered beds for tidy gardens. Drupes can be soaked in cold water to make a tart pink lemonade-like beverage (Indigenous food tradition).

Why it's on this list: spectacular fall color · dense pollinator bloom · edible drupes. Part of Rooted Revival's NE Oklahoma plant catalog — natives, ecologically positive non-invasive cultivars, and food crops worth growing in the Tulsa region.

Companion Planting

[ guild · polyculture · cross-layer pairings ]

In a hedgerow or thicket, smooth sumac pairs naturally with: eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana), crossvine (Bignonia capreolata), chickasaw plum (Prunus angustifolia), osage orange (Maclura pomifera), maypop / passionflower (Passiflora incarnata), and fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica).

Site smooth sumac on the woodland edge or in the mid-layer of a guild beneath taller canopy trees.

Smooth Sumac

Field Notes

Companion Planting

Photo Reference