Staghorn Sumac
 

Mature Size, Growth, Longevity

A large shrub or small tree, usually very open, loose and spreading. Habit becomes picturesque over time. Average mature size of 15-25' tall and wide, can grow to 30-40' tall and wide in the wild. National champion, in Alabama, is 57' tall and 41' wide. Fast growth rate when development occurs from suckers, slow to medium growth on old wood. Short lifespan, rarely surviving 50 years. The spreading root system perpetuates the plant over the years, as it suckers and spreads to form large colonies.

Native Range

Kentucky Native — Native Quebec to Ontario, south to Georgia, Indiana, Iowa and Ohio. Cultivated since 1629. Also native to a few scattered counties in Kentucky.

Flower and Fruit Details

Flowers are dioecious, greenish-yellow, appearing in June-July. Female flowers in dense, hairy, 4-8" panicles. Male flowers are in a larger, looser, wider panicle. Individual fruits are small, hairy, red drupes in conical 6-10" long panicles, in August, occurring only on female plants, and persisting on the plant until the following April.

Leaf and Bark Features

Deciduous: Large, 1-2' long, odd-pinnately compound leaves made up of 13-27 leaflets (often 19), with each leaflet 2-5" long and 1-2" wide, bright green above, glaucous beneath. Petiole is hairy, about 2" long. Rachis of leaf is also pubescent. Leafs out late. Florescent yellow, red, and orange fall color. Often spectacular. Bark is gray and relatively smooth with conspicuous raised dot-like lenticels. The velvety-hairy branches and twigs resemble the horns of a male deer, thus the name. Twigs are aromatic when broken, revealing the large, brown pith inside.

Culture and Care

Easily transplanted. Prefers well-drained soil, but tolerates very dry, sterile soil & city conditions. Suckers profusely & tends to form wide-spreading colonies. Can be rejuvenated by cutting to ground in March. Zones 4-8. Avoid wet, poorly-drained sites. Can be maintained as a single-stemmed tree. Few serious disease or insect problems, although various wilts, leaf spots, rusts, aphids and mites have been noted. Verticillium is often prevalent.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts

Once established, generates quickly. Good wildlife value. 3-season interest: Spring, Summer & Fall. Somewhat invasive.

Suggested Uses

Often used for massing purposes, naturalizing, in waste areas, on banks, cuts and fills.

Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA