Staghorn Sumac
Rhus typhina
Two-foot leaves blaze orange and scarlet in fall, and fuzzy red seed clusters feed birds all winter. Deer-proof and tough on dry, rocky soil.
Typically 1 quart–3 gal · $17–$85 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
The most spectacular native fall color combined with seed heads that feed birds all winter on slopes where nothing else thrives.
Staghorn sumac is a plant that announces itself. The massive compound leaves can be two feet long, turning a blaze of orange, red, and scarlet in fall, one of the most vivid fall color displays of any woody plant native to the east. The fuzzy velvet-coated branches (the 'staghorn' character) are architectural and distinctive in winter. The dense red seed clusters that form in late summer persist through winter and are eaten by dozens of bird species, including robins, bluebirds, and chickadees, when other food sources are gone. It spreads by suckering to form colonies: this is part of what it does, not a problem to manage unless you're working in a small, formal space. On a slope, along a woodland edge, or at the back of a naturalized planting, those colonies are exactly what you want. Deer won't touch it. It tolerates dry, rocky, and infertile soil. This is a bold, decisive plant for people who want impact over delicacy.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown staghorn sumac propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
Plant staghorn sumac instead of Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) on disturbed slopes. Same job in the garden, without the spread.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 6–15 ft · 6–15 ft wide
- Bloom time
- Early summer
- Bloom color
- Yellow
- USDA zones
- 3–8
- Family
- Anacardiaceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America from Quebec to Georgia, west to Iowa and Minnesota
Care notes for staghorn sumac.
Full sun in dry to average, well-drained soil. Tolerates poor, rocky, and sandy conditions. Spreads vigorously by root suckers. accept the colony or prune suckers annually in spring to control spread. Cut to the ground every several years to rejuvenate leggy plants. No fertilization needed. Not for small formal gardens; excellent for slopes, naturalized areas, and wild edges.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside staghorn sumac.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.