NICE! Plant of the Month
(Rhus lanceolata)
Description:
Flameleaf sumac, a thicket-forming, deciduous ornamental shrub or single-trunked tree, can be found on limestone and calcareous soils in the Edwards Plateau, Trans-Pecos, North and Central Texas, and New Mexico. It can reach a height of 10-20 feet tall. The plant’s common name refers to its pinnately compound leaves, which turn brilliant shades of red and orange in the fall. It blooms from May to August with whitish flowers appearing as dense terminal clusters. The red fruits ripen in the fall and are covered with small hairs. Over 20 species of birds feed on the berrylike fruit.
Deer Resistance:
Flameleaf sumac is considered to be deer-resistant.
Planting Sites:
Flameleaf sumac prefers limestone outcrops, rocky slopes, and prairies with well-drained soils. It tends to send out suckers as far away as 20 feet from the parent plant, so avoid planting it in shrub border. Plant in full sun to part shade.
Planting Instructions:
Dig hole at least 2 times wider than, but the same depth as the root ball in the nursery container. Carefully remove plant from container, taking care not to break the root ball. Loosen exterior roots, if root bound. Do not add any soil to the top of root ball. When planting more than one specimen, space plants 10-15 feet apart.
Watering Instructions:
Water in well after planting, using an organic-based root stimulator according to product directions. Repeat watering a few days after planting. Water deeply every 7-10 days, after checking an inch or two into soil at edge of root ball to determine soil moisture. Skip a watering after a rain of ½ to 1 inch. Maintain this watering schedule until the first fall after planting. Reduce water during fall and winter. In a “normal” year, no watering may be necessary in fall and winter, but during a dry period, monthly watering may be desirable. Flameleaf sumac is very drought tolerant.
A thick stand of this plant is dazzling in the fall. It is a good food source for bees, mammals and many species of birds. The leaves, branches, and red fruit can be used as a dye for wool.
Comments:
Sumacs are related to cashews, mangoes, poison ivy and poison sumac. Allergic skin reactions can occur in sensitive individuals who come in contact with the plant, particularly the oily surface of the fruit. Poison sumac, a native of East Texas, has white berries, making it easy to distinguish from the nonpoisonous, red-berried Flameleaf sumac.
Look for the NICE! Plant of the Month signs and information sheets on your next visit to a participating Boerne nursery. And thank you for supporting native plants by using them in your landscapes.
