Rhus trilobata
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- RHOOS try-lo-BAY-tuh
- Description
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Skunkbush is a low spreading deciduous shrub in the cashew family. It is found naturally in thickets and slopes of canyons and streambanks. Plant in the full or dappled sun in well-drained soil. It tolerates dry rocky soils.
It is a host plant for the larvae of the Luna moth (Actias luna).
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Autumn Amber'
- 'Autumn Amber'
- 'Autumn Amber'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Autumn Amber'
- 'Autumn Amber'
- 'Autumn Amber'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Rhus
- Species:
- trilobata
- Family:
- Anacardiaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Native Americans valued the plant for its astringent qualities. The fruits were eaten for stomach ailments and tooth aches and were dried and ground into a paste used to treat smallpox.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- North America
- Distribution:
- AR , AZ , CA , CO , ID , KS , MD , MT , ND , NE , NM , NV , OK , OR , SD , TX , UT , WY. Alberta, Mexico
- Wildlife Value:
- Provides food and cover for songbirds, game birds, large and small mammals. It provides structure and materials for nesting bees and the flowers are pollinated by bees. Larval host plant for the Luna moth.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Very Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 3 feet-6 feet
- 6-feet-12 feet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Type:
- Berry
- Fruit Description:
- Crimson sticky berries
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Flowers:
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Description:
- Dioecious meaning some plants are male and some are female.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Margin:
- Lobed
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- Small trifolate leaves that have an unpleasant skunk-like fragrance
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- Stems are fuzzy
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Riparian
- Slope/Bank
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Nighttime Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Screen/Privacy
- Security
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Moths
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Dry Soil
