NC Native Plant Society:
Plant Details

Rhus glabra

Smooth Sumac

Scientific Name:	Rhus glabra
Genus:	Rhus
Species Epithet:	glabra
Common Name:	Smooth Sumac
Plant Type	Tree/Shrub
Life Cycle	Perennial
Plant Family	Anacardiaceae (Cashew Family)
Native/Alien:	NC Native
Invasive Status:	^(*Key)
Size:	6-12 ft., 12-36 ft.
Bloom Color(s):	Yellow, Green
Light:	Sun - 6 or more hours of sun per day, Part Shade - 2 to 6 hours of sun per day
Soil Moisture:	Dry, Moist
Bloom Time:	May, June, July
Growing Area:	Mountains, Piedmont, Sandhills, Coastal Plain
Habitat Description:	Disturbed areas, clearings, roadsides, woodlands. Common in NC mountains and piedmont, rare in coastal plain. Present in parts of the Sandhills.
Leaf Arrangement:	Alternate
Leaf Retention:	Deciduous
Leaf Type:	Leaves veined, not needle-like or scale-like
Leaf Form:	Compound
Life Cycle:	Perennial
Wildlife Value:	Important for Wildlife
Landscape Value:	Not Recommended for home landscapes
State Rank:	S5: Secure ^(*Key)
Global Rank:	G5 - Secure ^(*Key)
Notes:	Colonial, so it is best grown in natural areas. Bright red fruit and fall foliage. Dioecious.
Emerging shoots in early Spring Orange County, NC Bettina Darveaux
Stems are glabrous and not heavily tomentose (fuzzy) as in R. typhina Orange County, NC Bettina Darveaux
Panicle of fruit (drupes) in July. The fruits are fuzzy in R. typhina Macon County, NC Bettina Darveaux
Not much fruit left by August! Orange County, NC Bettina Darveaux
Links:	USDA PLANTS Database Record https://auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/flora/plant_list.php https://nc.audubon.org/conservation/bird-friendly-communities/bird-friendly-native-plants https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/rhus-glabra/