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Marcus, Joseph A. (Austin, TX)
Rhus lanceolata (Gray) Britt.
Prairie flameleaf sumac, Flame-leaf sumac, Prairie sumac, Lance-leaf sumac
Anacardiaceae (Sumac Family)
Synonyms: Rhus copallinum var. lanceolata
USDA Symbol: RHLA3
USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.
Prairie Flameleaf Sumac is a thicket-forming, small, deciduous tree to 30 ft. in height, but usually no taller than 20 ft. Pyramidal panicles of red, fall fruit follow white, summer blossoms. Pinnately-compound foliage becomes vivid red or orange in fall.
Native from southern Oklahoma through north, central, and west Texas to New Mexico and south to Puebla in Mexico, the limestone-loving Prairie Flameleaf Sumac is relatively fast growing, generally pest- and disease-free, and heat-, cold-, and drought-tolerant. Flameleaf is a perfect description of this trees outstanding, orange and red, autumn foliage, but its pale trunk and branches, green summer leaves, and pyramidal clusters of red fall fruit are also noteworthy. Though it may sucker from the base to form a colony, it is not as likely to aggressively colonize as the more easterly Shining Sumac (Rhus copallinum). Like the very different-looking Evergreen Sumac (Rhus virens), Prairie Flameleaf Sumac produces berries that, when soaked in water, make a tart, tasty, high-Vitamin C tea.
View herbarium specimen from Harry T. Cliffe Bexar Regional Herbarium.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Tree
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Pinnate
Size Class: 12-36 ft.
Leaf Shape: Lanceolate
Leaf Venation: Pinnately Veined
Leaf Pubescence: Glabrous , Pilose
Leaf Margin: Entire
Breeding System: Monoecious
Inflorescence: Panicle
Fruit Type: Drupe
Size Notes: 12-30 ft, but normally around 15-20 ft.
Leaf Color: Shiny green above, pale below.
Autumn Foliage: yes
Flower Size: panicles 4-6 inches long
Fruit Length: 1/8 inch long
Fruit Color: Dark red
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: White , Yellow , GreenBloom Time: Jul , Aug
Bloom Notes: color normally yellowish green or white
Distribution
USA: NM , OK , TXNative Distribution: Southern Oklahoma south through north-central, central, and west Texas, west to New Mexico, and south to Puebla
Native Habitat: Rocky, limestone hillsides and grasslands
USDA Native Status: L48(N)
Growing Conditions
Water Use: Low , MediumLight Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil pH: Alkaline (pH>7.2)
Drought Tolerance: High
Cold Tolerant: yes
Heat Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Rocky, calcareous, well-drained limestone soils, including clays, loams, and sands. Usually in calcareous rocky soils and clays.
Conditions Comments: Will be less likely to sucker and colonize if left undisturbed. Overly rich soil can cause fusarium wilt when the plant is young.
Texas comments: Native only to north, central, and west Texas in limestone soils.
Benefit
Use Ornamental: Provides accent texture and vivid fall color as well as hardiness and easy maintenance. It is an excellent, relatively fast growing landscaping choice because of its ornamental fruits and fall foliage.Use Wildlife: Birds, especially bobwhites, grouse, and pheasants, consume quantities of the fruit in winter, and deer browse the foliage.
Use Food: Fruit soaked in water used to make a lemony drink similar to a diluted lemonade, sometimes called sumac-ade.
Use Other: The leaves contain tannin and have been used in tanning leather.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Interesting Foliage: yes
Attracts: Birds , Butterflies
Larval Host: Red-banded Hairstreak, Banded Hairstreak
Deer Resistant: Moderately
Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)
Rhus lanceolata is a larval host and/or nectar source for:|
Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus)  Larval Host |
Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops)  Larval Host |
Propagation
Propagation Material: Seeds , Semi-hardwood CuttingsDescription: Scarified seed or semi-hardwood cuttings taken in late summer. Several species of Rhus, this one among them, are commercially available as propagated stock, which is both ecologically more desirable and usually more successfully established than plants dug from the wild. The best time for planting most shrubs and trees is during the dormant period of fall and winter. Even during the winter, however, the root ball needs moisture, so plan some winter watering if soaking rains fail to come regularly. You can use a spade to cut outer shoots from a spreading cluster in the wild. This allows the plant to remain in its natural setting while providing transplantable shoots that already have a developed root system. Simply cut straight down between the outside “sucker” shoots and the other plant and then cut around the new shoots to remove them from the soil. Keep the roots wrapped in damp newspaper and out of the sun. Replant the same day, if possible.
Seed Collection: Collect September to October from plump, red fruit.
Seed Treatment: 30-55 minutes of acid scarification needed
Commercially Avail: yes
Maintenance: Because it may colonize, do not plant near an area you dont want it to spread to, like a box hedge border. As with any shrub or tree, native or introduced, the first year requires regular deep watering for successful root establishment. Once established, sumacs do not require fertilizing or watering beyond average rainfall. Shrub-like specimens may be pruned to form a nice tree.
PlantWise: Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants
Rhus lanceolata (Prairie sumac) is a PlantWise native alternative for: Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven)
Pistacia chinensis (Chinese pistache)
Mr. Smarty Plants says
Question: Mr. Smarty Plants, I am looking for a native alternative to a Japanese Red Maple. I would like a small tree that I can put in my front garden that will not pose a security risk my being overgrown and too large. We thought the Japanese Red Maple would be nice, because it is a smaller and more contained tree, but I do not want to introduce a non-native plant. PLEASE HELP!
click here to view the full question and answer
Question: Needing a 10-20ft wispy ______ to plant behind our waterfall to help block out road noise. We live in Austin.
I've looked at the Mexican weeping bamboo but are there other options?
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Question: We live in Kempner Texas, our land has mostly cedar trees. We would like to make a wildlife habitat on the back side of our property. Can you recommend plants that will grow in shade to partial sun, compatible with cedar and wildlife friendly? Also we want a good shade tree for our front.
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Question: I bought a prairie sumac two years ago and it was fine until recently when we had a lot of rain in Austin. Now the leaves are all brown and it appears to be dying. Is there something I can do? I really like this native tree/shrub.
click here to view the full question and answer
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Fredericksburg Nature Center - Fredericksburg, TX
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Texas Discovery Gardens - Dallas, TX
Brackenridge Field Laboratory - Austin, TX
Patsy Glenn Refuge - Wimberley, TX
Bibliography
Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America (2005) Covell, C.V., Jr.Field Guide to Western Butterflies (Peterson Field Guides) (1999) Opler, P.A. and A.B. Wright
Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, S.
Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest (1991) Miller, G. O.
Native & Naturalized Woody Plants of Austin & the Hill Country (1981) Lynch, D.
* Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.
* Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender
Trees of Central Texas (1984) Vines, Robert A.
Search More Titles in Bibliography
Recommended Species Lists
Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.
View Recommended Species pageAdditional resources
USDA: Find Rhus lanceolata in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Rhus lanceolata in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Rhus lanceolata
Metadata
Record Modified: 2010-02-06Research By: TWC Staff, GDG
