Polecat Sumac Rhus aromatica

The fragrant sumac is a dense, rambling, low spreading groundcover or low spreading deciduous shrub. It reaches a height of 2 to 6 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide. It spreads by root suckers and forms colonies and thickets. In mass plantings, it is excellent for stabilizing banks and slopes.  In the early spring, small yellow flowers appear at the twig tips before the foliage appears. Its green leaves of spring and summer transition to beautiful shades of orange, red, or reddish-purple in the fall. The leaves have a lemony scent when crushed. There are male and female flowers that may appear on the same or a different plant. The female flowers produce small clusters of red berries in late summer which attract wildlife. This shrub is a member of the Anacardiaceae or cashew family.

Fragrant sumac is native to North America from eastern Canada to Mexico. It is found in open woods and thickets. 

The genus name. Rhus is an old Greek name for Sumac or rhous. The epithet, aromatic, means fragrant.

Fragrant sumac is best grown in full sun to partial shade and in moist to dry, well-drained soils. They prefer acidic soils but are tolerant of most soil types except for poorly drained areas. The stems will root easily when they come in contact with the soil. They may also be propagated by seed.

This plant has many benefits, including fall color, and is tolerant to drought, erosion, black walnut, rabbit, clay soil, dry soil, and shallow rocky soil. Fragrant sumac is smaller and less aggressive than Smooth Sumac and Staghorn Sumac. The flowers and drupes appear earlier on Fragrant Sumac than they do on any other species.

Fragrant sumac is frequently used on embankments to stabilize the soil or in areas where the soil is poor. It may also be found in naturalized areas or native plant gardens.

Seasons of Interest:

Bloom:  Early Spring    Foliage:  Spring, Summer, and Fall     Fruits:  Late Summer

Quick ID Hints:

• multi-stemmed, creeping, spreading groundcover or erect and mounding deciduous shrub
• bark is textured and reddish-brown
• stems have a zigzag form, brown, pubescent when young, and transition to gray with age
• glossy green to bluish-green, 3 leaflets, terminal leaf larger than lateral leaves, coarsely toothed, lemony scent
• short spikes of yellowish-green blooms about 1-inch long, male flower forms catkins, and female flower forms short panicle at the end of the branch
• fruits are hairy, 0.25-inch, ovoid drupes that ripen to bright red

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  The fragrant sumac has no serious insect or disease problems. They may be susceptible to leaf spots, rust, scales, aphids, and mites. Nipple galls may affect the foliage appearance. The shrub is reportedly susceptible to vascular wilt.

VIDEO created by Grant L. Thompson for “Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines for Landscaping” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University.