Homegrown Habitat, February 2026: Shining Sumac
The female plants produce fruit in loose, fuzzy clusters that ripen to a rusty red in fall. It isa vital food source for birds during lean months. Photo courtesy of Betsy Washington See the Virginia Native Plant Society article in the resource list below.
The recent interest in ecological gardening has led us to consider our gardens in new ways, and part of this paradigm shift is awareness about native plants not previously deemed appropriate for home gardens. Many native plants have been suggested only for “naturalized areas” or “reclamation”—in other words, assessed like unseemly folk who should not be invited to the dinner party.
This month’s topic, shining sumac (Rhus copallinum), falls into this category. Yet it has potential for many, if not all, gardens, as well as other cultivated landscapes. This member of the cashew family is not only attractive much of the year, but shining sumac is a highly valuable plant to birds and other wildlife—making it a surprise contender for the ecological garden plant list.
Many readers will be familiar with the sight of sumacs growing along roads—often staghorn (Rus typhina) or smooth (R. glabra)—and in old fields. They are large shrubs or small, multistem trees with branches that bear long, arching compound leaves (one large leaf composed of many leaflets) that turn garnet-red in fall.
Shining sumac is the cousin who spent a semester or two at finishing school. It produces tiny greenish flowers from July to August in pyramidal panicles, with male and female flowers usually on separate plants. Numerous pollinators are attracted to the flowers, including native bees, butterflies, and wasps.
Another name is winged sumac, because its leaf midribs bear wing-like structures on each side. The emerald-green leaves are truly glossy, and their fall color is a magnificent red, inspiring yet another common name: flameleaf sumac.
Its leaves feed at least 47 species of butterfly and moth larvae, including the luna moth, winged dagger moth, crecopia silk moth, and the red-banded hairstreak butterfly. Hummingbirds are drawn to the aphids that take up residence on sumac leaves.
Only female plants produce fruit, called drupes (a male plant in the vicinity is necessary for fruit production). They appear in loose, fuzzy clusters that ripen to a rusty red in fall. As winter advances the persistent fruit is a vital food source for birds during lean months.
At least 98 species of migrant and resident birds eat sumac fruit, including Hermit Thrush, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Northern Cardinal, and Wild Turkey.
Shining sumac, like its relatives, often grows on disturbed sites, as well as open woods, glades, and hillsides. It is well suited to coastal areas but thrives in a variety of soil types and conditions, including dry, rocky soils. The only caveat is good drainage. It prefers full sun, growing seven feet to 15 feet tall, with a spread of 10 feet to 20 feet. Shining sumac is resistant to rabbits and to the chemical produced by black walnuts, but deer may browse its twigs. It is highly drought tolerant.
Given the space, shining sumac will spread clonally, which creates fabulous avian habitat. But it can be grown as a discrete shrub (if the offshoots are removed) and can also be trained as a single-stem tree.
Use shining sumac on open hillsides (excellent for erosion control), along the street or driveway, or in a hedgerow. It can also be used in a pollinator garden, near a patio, or as a specimen shrub, if given enough room for its natural breadth. It is a terrific choice for seaside gardens. Good companion plants include sweetfern, blueberries (lowbush or highbush), groundsel tree, goldenrods, asters, and little bluestem. (You can scroll through earlier Hoegrown Habitat
Shining sumac has long been used for various culinary and medicinal purposes. A popular drink made from the nutritious fruit dates back to the Cherokee people. It resembles pink lemonade and is now called sumac aide or Rhus juice. The fruit can also be dried and crushed for use in rubs and marinades. The smoke from burning twigs is still used today to calm honeybees, and tannins in the bark have been used in leatherwork.
Note: Poison sumac is a different species, Toxicodendron vernix. Although it can look similar to Rhus species, unlike them it grows in wet environments—usually wooded swamps or in fens. Its flower and fruit clusters droop, and the fruit is grayish white rather than red.
Send comments and questions to homegrown@ctaudubon.org
Resources
Books
Russ Cohen, Wild Plants I Have Known, Essex County Greenbelt Association, 2004
Laura Erickson, 100 Plants to Feed the Birds Turn Your Home Garden into a Healthy Bird Habitat, Storey Publishing, 2022
Websites
Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
