Fragrant Sumac. Rhus aromatica Aiton. Minnesota native flowering plants, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

(Squaw-bush). Fragrant Sumac is a bush perennial shrub, growing up to 7 feet high, forming thickets of up to 10 feet spread from suckering roots. The bark is smooth but can be covered with dense fine hair. Unlike the other two sumacs in the Garden, the leaves of Fragrant Sumac are alternate and divided into 3 mostly stalkless leaflets that are slightly aromatic when crushed. They are coarsely toothed and can have a variable shape but are mostly wedge shaped at the base, green to blue-green in summer and orange to red to purple in the Autumn. Plants carry both male and female flowers. The male flowers are in yellowish catkins and the female flowers are in dense, short spike-like panicles that grow at the ends of branches and open before the leaves. Individual flowers are bright yellow. At maturity they produce a bright red hairy drupe containing a single nutlet. These fruits provide winter food for Wild Turkey, grouse, wintering birds, and active small mammals. The foliage is not very palatable for most animals. As the plant does not grow as high as the other sumacs it can be used as a high ground cover. It tolerates both sun and open shade and is found in the open woods. Like the other sumacs, fire will generate vigorous growth. It can be propagated from root cuttings and cultivars are available from the nursery trade.

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Fragrant Sumac	Rhus aromatica Aiton	Sumac (Anacardiaceae)	Open Wood	Early Summer flowering to late Autumn fruit
Other names and notes	(Squaw-bush). Fragrant Sumac is a bush perennial shrub, growing up to 7 feet high, forming thickets of up to 10 feet spread from suckering roots. The bark is smooth but can be covered with dense fine hair. Unlike the other two sumacs in the Garden, the leaves of Fragrant Sumac are alternate and divided into 3 mostly stalkless leaflets that are slightly aromatic when crushed. They are coarsely toothed and can have a variable shape but are mostly wedge shaped at the base, green to blue-green in summer and orange to red to purple in the Autumn. Plants carry both male and female flowers. The male flowers are in yellowish catkins and the female flowers are in dense, short spike-like panicles that grow at the ends of branches and open before the leaves. Individual flowers are bright yellow. At maturity they produce a bright red hairy drupe containing a single nutlet. These fruits provide winter food for Wild Turkey, grouse, wintering birds, and active small mammals. The foliage is not very palatable for most animals. As the plant does not grow as high as the other sumacs it can be used as a high ground cover. It tolerates both sun and open shade and is found in the open woods. Like the other sumacs, fire will generate vigorous growth. It can be propagated from root cuttings and cultivars are available from the nursery trade.