Identifying characteristics:
The stems and leaves emit an aromatic fragrance when bruised, giving this
sumac its common name. Another common name, the "polecat bush,"
indicates that the odor may be considered unpleasant. It is a low, spreading,
irregular shrub from 2 to 6 feet tall, with a variable spread of up to 10
feet. The plants tend to produce a mass of stems and leaves, suckering from
the roots. Leaves are alternate,
coarsely-toothed and trifoliate, with the unstalked terminal leaflet 1.5
to 3 inches long. Summer foliage is a very glossy blue-green color, turning
orange to red or purple in the fall. Bisexual and unisexual flowers are borne on the same plant. Produced
from late March into April, male flowers are borne in 1-inch-long yellowish
catkins and female flowers in bright yellow, short panicles at the ends
of branches. In the fall, groups of red, fuzz-covered drupes
(0.25 inches in diameter) are formed in groups from the female flowers.
Fruits may persist into winter, but they lose their bright red color. The
naked buds are tiny, yellow and hairy, and are surrounded by a raised,
circular leaf scar.
Similar species:
- poison ivy (Rhus radicans)
Ecology:
Distribution: The fragrant sumac is native to the eastern
and central US and the Great Lakes region of Canada and is found in dry,
open woods and thickets of southwest and south-central Iowa.
Habitat: Growing well on dry, open, rocky sites, this sumac prefers acid soil and full sun, but tolerates a variety of soils and moderate shading. It is not bothered by any serious pests, but Verticillium wilt, rusts, aphids, mites and scales may occur.
Uses:
Wildlife: Sumacs are important to wildlife. The fruits are
eaten by birds, small mammals and rodents. White-tail deer and moose browse
the foliage and twigs.
Horticulture: The suckering habit makes this species particularly good for stabilizing banks, cuts and fills. Some cultivars can be used in the shrub border and as groundcovers. Plants may be rejuvenated by cutting back to ground level. 'Green Globe' is a 6-foot-high, dense, rounded shrubby form; and 'Low Gro' is only 2 feet high, with an 8-foot spread and orange-red fall foliage.
