Rhus typhina aka Stag's Horn Sumac

Taxonomy

Genus Rhus Family Anacardiaceae Order Sapindales Class Magnoliopsida Phylum Tracheophyta
Rhus typhina, also known as staghorn sumac, is a large, spreading shrub or small tree that can grow up to 25 feet tall. It is the largest of the North American sumacs and is native to eastern North America, from Quebec to Ontario to Minnesota, down to Georgia, Indiana, and Iowa. This plant is drought tolerant and is commonly found in woodland edges, roadsides, railroad embankments, and stream/swamp margins. The leaves are large, compound, and odd-pinnate, with 13-27 toothed leaflets that turn yellow, orange, and red in the fall. The young branchlets are covered in reddish-brown hairs that resemble velvet on a stag's horns, giving the plant its common name. In late spring to early summer, tiny greenish-yellow flowers bloom in cone-shaped panicles, with male and female flowers occurring on separate plants. The female flowers produce showy pyramidal fruiting clusters that contain numerous hairy, berry-like drupes that ripen from bright red to dark red and persist through much of the winter. While not poisonous, this plant can be weedy and spreads by suckers to form colonies. Despite this, it is widely cultivated as an ornamental throughout the temperate world.

Common names

Stag's Horn Sumac, Staghorn Sumac, Virginia Sumac, Vinegar Tree

How to care for Stag's Horn Sumac

Difficulty

With its straightforward care requirements, Stag's Horn Sumac is a hassle-free plant that anyone can enjoy.

Water

Stag's Horn Sumac should be watered regularly, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings.

Soil

Stag's Horn Sumac loves a well-draining soil. Perlite and vermiculite help with drainage, while coco coir adds organic matter, so a good potting soil mix will have all three. You can improve store-bought soil by adding some perlite to it.

Lighting

To ensure optimal growth, the Stag's Horn Sumac prefers bright indirect light for 6-8 hours each day. Insufficient light can result in slow growth and leaf drop, so it's important to find a well-lit location for this plant. Place it near a window, within a distance of 1 meter (3 feet), to enhance its potential for thriving.

Toxicity

No verified data on the toxicity of this plant exists within Ploi's records. Should you, someone in your family, or your pet ingest plant material with an unknown toxicity level, it is recommended to seek medical advice.

Fertilizer

Once the Stag's Horn Sumac has doubled in size or after a year has passed, it should be moved to a new pot. By replacing the soil with fresh potting soil containing all the vital nutrients, your plant will receive all the sustenance it needs, negating the requirement for fertilizer. It's important to remember that plants get their energy from the sun, not fertilizer.

Region of origin

Stag's Horn Sumac’s native range is Eastern N. America - New Brunswick to the southern Appalachian mountains and west to Iowa.

More info:
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More Species in Rhus Genus

Rhus punjabensis

Rhus ambigua

Rhus copallina Black Sumac

Rhus chinensis Chinese Gall

Rhus microphylla Desert Sumac

Rhus typhina Stag's Horn Sumac

Rhus potaninii

Rhus trilobata Skunkbush Sumac

Rhus punjabensis sinica

Rhus coriaria Tanner's Sumac