Rhus typhina

RHS Plant Profile
stag's horn sumach

Save a plant

Where do you want to save Rhus typhina?

Plants I own
Wishlist
Go to My Plants
stag's horn sumach RHS 2002
stag's horn sumach RHS
stag's horn sumach RHS
stag's horn sumach RHS

Other common names

green-flowered sumach, staghorn sumac, velvet sumac, vinegar tree, Virginian sumach

Synonyms

Rhus hirta

Shrubs
Thank you - your purchase supports our charity work Buy this from RHS Plants Shop
Buy online from £29.99Buy this from Plant Nurseries
26 Suppliers

A large suckering deciduous shrub to 6m, the red-hairy stems with large pinnate leaves turning red and orange in autumn. Dioecious, with yellow-green flower clusters, followed on female plants by dense crimson fruiting heads

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

4-8 metres

Max Spread

4-8 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
10–20 years
Max Spread
4-8 metres
Max Height
4-8 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H6

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Anacardiaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Suckering
Genus
Rhus can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs or trees with simple, pinnate or palmately-divided leaves often colouring brilliantly in autumn, and inconspicuous yellow flowers in spring or summer, followed by small, spherical red fruits in dense clusters
Name Status
Correct
Plant Range
Eastern North America

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in moist but well-drained soil in full sun to obtain best autumn colour. Suckering in habit and has the potential to become a nuisance

Propagation

Propagate by seed or semi-hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Coastal
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Low Maintenance
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Pruning group 7; sucker removal may be necessary, in winter

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus, coral spot and Verticillium wilt