Description
Smooth Sumac
Scientific Name: Rhus glabra
Add bold form and fiery fall colour to your landscape with Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra), a hardy native shrub found across British Columbia. Its striking red seed clusters and brilliant autumn leaves make it a dramatic feature plant.
Smooth Sumac is well adapted to the dry, well-drained soils of Interior BC. Its tropical-looking compound leaves, upright red fruit spikes, and vivid fall colour make it excellent for xeriscapes, pollinator gardens, and slope stabilization.
Growing naturally on dry slopes, roadsides, and open ground, this suckering shrub forms colonies that hold soil in place while feeding pollinators and providing winter food for birds.
Features
- Native to British Columbia and much of North America
- Brilliant red and orange fall foliage
- Upright red fruit clusters into winter (on female plants)
- Exceptional drought tolerance
- Suckers to stabilize slopes and soil
- Supports pollinators and winter birds
- Ideal for xeriscape and slope plantings
Growing Information
Mature Height: 1 to 3 m (3 to 10 ft)
Spread: 2 to 4 m (6.5 to 13 ft)
Light Requirements: Full sun
Soil Requirements: Dry, well-drained soils
Moisture Requirements: Low
Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
Ecological Benefits
Smooth Sumac’s summer flowers feed native bees and butterflies, and its persistent fruit provides an important winter food for birds. Its suckering roots stabilize dry slopes and resist erosion. This species supports pollinator habitat, winter wildlife, and drought-tolerant landscaping. Please note: Smooth Sumac is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers are borne on separate plants, and only female plants produce the showy red fruit clusters. It also suckers vigorously and is best sited where a spreading colony is welcome.
Please note: As a native plant, size and appearance may vary depending on the season and stage of growth.
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