North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Rhus typhina

Rhus typhina L.

staghorn sumac

Synonym(s): Datisca hirta, Rhus hirta, Rhus typhina var. laciniata
Cultivar(s): Tiger Eyes

Image ID: 16786
Image by: Sorrie, Bruce A.
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

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

CULTIVAR INDEX

Cult_id	Cultivar_name	Action
1536	Tiger Eyes	View

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 Andrés-Hernández 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; Andrés-Hernández 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: to 30 feet

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Shrub, Tree

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

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY:
BLOOM TIME: May-Jun

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

BLOOM COLOR: Greenish-white flowers

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

FRUITING PERIOD: Jun-Sep.

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE:
NATIVE RANGE: eastern North America

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Stag-Horn Sumac is a shrub or small tree frequently found along roadsides and other sunny areas in the mountains. Its flowering clusters (female plants) are loved by honeybees. Later bright red berries attract many bird species through the winter. Perfect even on impossible slopes. The shades of blaze- orange leaves tinged with red in early autumn is unlike any other color display among our native trees or shrubs.

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 4
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 7
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE: Bee Friendly, Bird Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
352	HORT	2009-10-30	Poythress	View

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
348	2011-0219	2011-11-01	352	View
3522	1991-0175			View
6510	1996-0135			View
8389	2005-0165	2005-05-31		View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
845	348	43	NCBG staff	2011-10-25	View
5782	3522	79	NCBG staff	1991-12-04	View
9203	6510	83	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: RHTY
USDA Common Name: Staghorn Sumac
Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV), CAN (NB, NS, ON, PE, QC)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Shrub, Tree

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Rhus typhina
COMMON NAME: Staghorn Sumac
SYNONYMY: [= C, F, G, K, Pa, RAB, Va, W, WV; = R. hirta (Linnaeus) Sudworth - Il, S; > R. typhina var. typhina - Z; > R. typhina var. laciniata Wood - Z]
PHENOLOGY: May-Jun; Jun-Sep.
HABITAT: Roadsides, old pastures, thickets, clearings, rock outcrops, barrens.
COMMENTS: NS and NB west to MN, south to n. GA, AL, MS, and KS . The apparently older epithet hirta was formally rejected in 1999. The species, especially in its cut-leaved forms, forma laciniata (Wood) Rehder and forma dissecta Rehder, is very popular in Europe as a cultivated ornamental.
RANGE MAP: Rhus typhina.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 Andrés-Hernández et al. (2014).
REFERENCE: Barkley (1937)=Z; Andrés-Hernández 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 typhina in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Rhus typhina in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

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

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 16786 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 16786 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 0 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 16787 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)