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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 sumac is a thicket-forming shrub to 30 ft. in height. Pyramids of red fruit follow white blossoms. Pinnately-compound foliage becomes vivid red in fall. This deciduous shrub is frequently single-trunked and tree-shaped.

Sumacs thrive in the poorest of soils and tolerate extremes of heat, cold, and drought.

 

From the Image Gallery

View herbarium specimen from Harry T. Cliffe Bexar Regional Herbarium.

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Pinnate
Size Class: 12-36 ft.
Leaf Shape: Lanceolate
Leaf Margin: Entire
Breeding System: Monoecious
Fruit Type: Drupe
Size Notes: 12-25
Leaf Color: Shiny green above, pale below.
Autumn Foliage: yes
Fruit Length: 1/8 inch long.
Fruit Color: Dark red.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow , Green
Bloom Time: Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: NM , OK , TX
Native Distribution: N.c. TX & adjacent OK, s. to Edwards Plateau & w. to NM
Native Habitat: Rocky hillsides, Found from the eastern edge of the Edwards Plateau and North Central Texas, west to the Trans-Pecos. Limestone and calcareous soils.
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Cold Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Rocky, limestone soils. Desturbed, Calcareous, Limestone-based, Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam Clay Loam Clay
Conditions Comments: Flameleaf is a perfect description of the outstanding fall orange and red hues of this tree. Plants may sucker from the base to form a colony which some people find a nuisance. Shrub-like specimens may be pruned to form a nice tree. Like evergreen sumac, flameleaf sumac produces berries that when soaked in water, make a tart, tasty, high-Vitamin C tea. Prairie flameleaf sumac is not as aggressive as the smooth sumac. Sumacs are fast growing, generally pest and disease-free, and drought-tolerant. Only female plants produce flowers and berries.
Texas comments: Flameleaf sumac gets its name from the outstanding fall orange and red hues of this tree. It is fast growing, generally pest and disease-free and drought-tolerant. Plants may sucker from the base to form a colony which some people find a nuisance. Shrub-like specimens may be pruned to form a nice tree. The female plants produce berries that when soaked in water, make a tart, tasty, high-Vitamin C tea.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Sumacs provide texture and vivid fall color as well as hardiness and easy maintenance. It is an excellent landscaping choice. Fruits ornamental, Fall conspicuous, Fast growing, Accent tree or shrub
Use Wildlife: Birds, especially bobwhites, grouse, and pheasants, consume quantities of the fruit in winter, and deer browse the foliage.
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 butterfly
Deer Resistant: Moderate

Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)

Rhus lanceolata is a larval host and/or nectar source for:
Banded Hairstreak
(Satyrium calanus)

Larval Host
Learn more at BAMONA 		Red-banded Hairstreak
(Calycopis cecrops)

Larval Host
Learn more at BAMONA

Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds
Description: Several species of Rhus are commercially available as propagate 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 Treatment: Rhus seeds germinate poorly without pretreatment. Scarification in acid or hot water is necessary.
Commercially Avail: yes
Maintenance: 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. 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.
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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?
click here to view the full question and answer

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.
click here to view the full question and answer

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
* Available Online from Wildflower Center Store

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 page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Rhus lanceolata in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Rhus lanceolata in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Rhus lanceolata

Metadata

Record Modified: 2009-02-18
Research By: TWC Staff

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