Native Plant Database

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Lytle, Melody

Rhus virens Lindheimer ex Gray

Evergreen sumac, Tobacco sumac

Anacardiaceae (Sumac Family)

USDA Symbol: rhvi3

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

Evergreen sumac is a shrub or small tree, from 8-12 ft. in height with spreading branches. Its shiny, evergreen, pinnate foliage is tinged with pink in early spring and maroon after frost. Leaves are alternate, 2–5 1/2 inches long, with 5–9 fleshy leaflets on stiff stems. The 5-petaled, inconspicuous, greenish or white flowers grow in clusters 1–2 inches long at the end of stout branches. When the fruit matures in mid-September it is red, broader than long, and covered with fine hair.

Not a true evergreen – leaves are green through the winter, then are dropped, to be replaced within a week with a new crop.

 

From the Image Gallery

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

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Pinnate
Size Class: 6-12 ft.
Leaf Shape: Elliptic
Leaf Margin: Entire
Leaf Texture: Leathery
Breeding System: Dioecious
Fruit Type: Drupe
Size Notes: Shrub to 10 feet.
Fruit Length: 1/4 inch.
Fruit Color: Orange-red.

Bloom Information

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

Distribution

USA: AZ , NM , TX
Native Distribution: C. TX to n. Mex.
Native Habitat: Rocky hillsides, gullies & bluffs. On rocky bluffs, slopes and banks, on dry hillsides in the Edwards Plateau and Trans-Pecos.
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Cold Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Rocky soils. Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam Clay Loam Clay, Caliche type, Limestone-based Igneous
Conditions Comments: Evergreen sumac can be used to make a nice, thick hedge or screen, but can grow tree-like with a long, straight trunk. Only female plants produce flowers and berries. Fast growing, generally insect and disease-free, and drought-tolerant.
Texas comments: Evergreen sumac can be used to make a nice, thick hedge or screen, but can grow tree-like with a long, straight trunk. It is slow growing, but generally insect and disease-free and drought-tolerant. Only female plants produce flowers and berries.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Aromatic, Blooms ornamental, Fruits ornamental, Fall conspicuous
Use Wildlife: Birds and other animals feed on the fuzzy red fruit. The flower is a nectar source for adult butterflies.
Use Food: When soaked in water, the berries make a tart, tasty tea that is high in vitamin C.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Birds , Butterflies
Deer Resistant: Moderate

Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds
Description: Treated seed and root cuttings are used for increase.
Seed Treatment: Scarify fresh, uncleaned seed for 30-45 minutes.
Commercially Avail: yes
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PlantWise: Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants

Rhus virens (Evergreen sumac) is a PlantWise native alternative for:

   Ligustrum japonicum (Japanese privet)
   Pyracantha coccinea (scarlet firethorn)

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Question: Help, my oleanders are dying. I am in need of hedge suggestions- ideal would be quick growing, maybe 8-12 feet at their tallest. I live in Central Texas.
click here to view the full question and answer

Question: Mr. Smarty Plants, Please recommend a tall, thick shrub to conceal the 6 foot chain link fence around the perimeter of our property. The fence is located down a hill from our home with western exposure and full sun. While we can run a soaker hose down there to establish the roots, I would love to have tall shrubs that will conceal the fence, act as a noise barrier from the street and require no watering throughout the summer. Is there such a plant? The nursery recommended red tip photinias but after reading your article about disease with these plants, I'm reconsidering. Thank you for your advice.
click here to view the full question and answer

Question: I live in Austin in a neighborhood that is bordered on one side by highway 183 and on the other by MoPac and the train tracks. Even though I am least a three blocks from the closest highway, the traffic noise is horrific on all sides of my house, even at night. What might the best native plant or plants to put near the house to mitigate the noise coming inside and to plant around the perimeter of the property for the same purpose? I have a large yard, which I like, but I notice that the smaller properties, with smaller yards and close-by houses on all sides, are quieter because the buildings shield each other from the noise. Thank you for any suggestions.
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Question: Is there some kind of drought resistant bush or thorny plant we can rim our property with to stop all the foot traffic through our yard? We don't care if it's pretty, just something thick and/or thorny to stop people wandering through our property day and night. We have over an acre lot which is near IH35 and would like some privacy. We have bamboo on one side which works nicely, but can this be transplanted to grow on the empty side of our yard? Thank you!
click here to view the full question and answer

Question: Hello, we live west of Ft Worth. We are looking for tall plants to form a visual screen along a chain link fence we share with a neighbor. We have post oaks there and it is very shady and the ground is sandy and sloping. Our neighbor has planted eleagnus along her side but it is only a few feet tall. The fence line is about 100 feet long and we would like a variety of native plants 6 to 10 foot tall. Can you suggest anything?
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:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Brackenridge Field Laboratory - Austin, TX
Patsy Glenn Refuge - Wimberley, TX
Native Plant Society of Texas - Fredericksburg, TX
Nueces River Authority - Uvalde, TX
* Available Online from Wildflower Center Store

Bibliography

Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest (1991) Miller, G. O.
* Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.
* Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller
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 virens in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Rhus virens in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Rhus virens

Metadata

Record Modified: 2007-08-09
Research By: TWC Staff

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