North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Rhus glabra

Rhus glabra L.

smooth sumac

Synonym(s): Rhus borealis, Rhus calophylla, Rhus glabra var. cismontana, Rhus glabra var. laciniata, Rhus glabra var. occidentalis

Image ID: 18614
Image by: Ware, Richard & Teresa
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: RHGL
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Rhus glabra
Include in WOTAS: 0
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2019-08-30

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: RHUS
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Rhus
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Sumac
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of about 35 species, trees, shrubs, and lianas, temperate and subtropical, of Eurasia, Hawaii, North America, and n. Central America. The subgenera and sections follow Andr�s-Hern�ndez et al. (2014).
GENUS IDENTIFICATION: Identification notes: Two hybrids have been documented to occur naturally in our area: Rhus �borealis Greene (glabra � typhina) and Rhus �ashei (Small) Greene (glabra � michauxii). They are intermediate between their parents. For instance, R. �ashei has sparsely pubescent leaves and stems, slight winging of the rachis between the terminal leaflets, greater potential stature than R. michauxii, and leaflets with a length/width ratio of 2.5-3. Hardin & Phillips (1985b) discuss other natural and artificial hybrids in Rhus.
GENUS REFERENCES: Barkley (1937)=Z; Andr�s-Hern�ndez et al. (2014); Pell et al. in Kubitzki (2011); Yi, Miller, & Web (2007); Hardin & Phillips (1985a); Miller, Young, & Wen (2001).

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: ANACAR
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Anacardiaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: R. Brown 1818, nom. cons.
FAMILY COMMON: Cashew Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 70-81 genera and about 800-875 species, trees, shrubs, lianas, and rarely herbs, of tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions. Our representatives are all classed in subfamily Anacardioideae (Pell et al. 2011).
FAMILY REFERENCE: Pell et al. in Kubitzki (2011); Barkley (1937).

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO:
STEMS:
LEAVES:
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS:
FRUITS:
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 9-15 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Shrub, Tree

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Alternate
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Pinnate
LEAF RETENTION: Deciduous

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY:
BLOOM TIME: Late May-Jul

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
				x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR:

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
				x	x

FRUITING PERIOD: Jun-Oct.

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Disturbed
NATIVE RANGE: North America & Mexico

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Smooth sumac is a spreading, open-growing shrub that spreads by root suckers and occurs in large colonies in fields, clearings, and prairies throughout North America. The large, compound pinnate leaves turn a brilliant scarlet color in the fall and provide a picturesque back drop in a naturalistic setting. Large clusters of berry-like fruit ripen to red and eventually maroon-brown and will persist throughout the winter and attract many species of birds.

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 3
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 9
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE: Butterfly Friendly, Bird Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
351	HORT	2009-10-23	Poythress	View
941	SOS	2017-10-07	Dakar	View

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
347	2011-0218	2011-11-01	351	View
3689	1991-0384			View
4531	1992-0687			View
5234	1995-0353			View
5429	1995-0552			View
5891	1995-1019			View
9393	2021-0026	2021-03-29	0	View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
844	347	23	NCBG staff	2011-10-25	View
5992	3689	199	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
6859	4531	200	NCBG staff	1993-03-01	View
7687	5234	203	NCBG staff	1992-01-01	View
7943	5429	204	NCBG staff	1993-01-01	View
8410	5891	2	NCBG staff	1992-01-01	View
8411	5891	2	NCBG staff	1992-01-01	View
12646	9393	112	Daley	2020-02-28	View
13242	0	104	Wait	0000-00-00	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: RHGL
USDA Common Name: Smooth Sumac
Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY), CAN (AB, BC, MB, ON, QC, SK)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Tree, Shrub

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Rhus glabra
COMMON NAME: Smooth Sumac
SYNONYMY: [= C, G, Il, K, Pa, RAB, S, Va, W, WH3, WV; > R. glabra var. glabra - F, Z; > R. glabra var. laciniata Carri�re - Z]
PHENOLOGY: Late May-Jul; Jun-Oct.
HABITAT: Disturbed areas, clearings, roadsides, woodlands.
COMMENTS: ME west to BC, south to Panhandle FL, TX, CA, and beyond.
RANGE MAP: Rhus glabra.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Anacardiaceae R. Brown 1818, nom. cons. (Cashew Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 70-81 genera and about 800-875 species, trees, shrubs, lianas, and rarely herbs, of tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions. Our representatives are all classed in subfamily Anacardioideae (Pell et al. 2011).
REFERENCE: Pell et al. in Kubitzki (2011); Barkley (1937).

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Rhus L. (Sumac)
SUMMARY: A genus of about 35 species, trees, shrubs, and lianas, temperate and subtropical, of Eurasia, Hawaii, North America, and n. Central America. The subgenera and sections follow Andr�s-Hern�ndez et al. (2014).
REFERENCE: Barkley (1937)=Z; Andr�s-Hern�ndez et al. (2014); Pell et al. in Kubitzki (2011); Yi, Miller, & Web (2007); Hardin & Phillips (1985a); Miller, Young, & Wen (2001).

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Rhus glabra in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Rhus glabra in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Rhus glabra in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Rhus glabra in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Rhus glabra in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Rhus glabra

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 18614 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 18614 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 16754 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 18614 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)