Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
- Plant Type
- Shrub (Deciduous)
- Landscape Layer
- Shrub
- Sun
- ☀️ Full Sun, ⛅ Part Sun, ☁️ Shade
- Moisture
- 🏜️ Dry
- Soil
- Clay, Loam, Sand, Calcareous
- Bloom
- April, May, June
- Sociability
- S3 – Small colonies
Pollinator Value
- 🐛 Larval Host
- Dichorda iridaria, Actias luna, Lophocampa caryae, Hyalophora cecropia, Marathyssa inficita, Paectes oculatrix, Sciota subfuscella, Marathyssa basalis, Nemoria rubrifrontaria
- 🐝 Specialist Bee Host
- Andrena (Thysandrena) brevipalpis
S17 Fowler pollen-specialist on Rhus; range CT-MA-NC-NH-NJ-NY-PA-RI-VA-VT-WV
- ❄️ Winter Food Source
- Hairy red drupes persist on branches well into winter and serve as emergency food for birds. Avian Diet Database records include Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkey, Northern Cardinal, Evening Grosbeak, Veery, Gambel's Quail, and Greater Sage-Grouse. The persistent fruit is especially important in late winter when other food sources are depleted.
S57 7 bird species; S61 berries persist into winter; S4 berries persist into March
Ecology & Conservation
- Proximity Score
- 0
- Native Status
- ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
- Closest Direction
- Local
- CEC Eco-Regions
- 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
- Rarity Notes
- Globally secure (G5) and nationally secure in Canada (N5). Apparently Secure in Ontario (S4) with widespread occurrence across southern and eastern counties. Not ranked in Quebec (SNR) but documented from multiple Outaouais localities including Gatineau Park and the Ottawa River islands. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC.
- Rarity Ranks
- QC SNR – Not Ranked, ON S4 – Apparently Secure
- Migration
- Stable
- Ecological Context
- Fragrant sumac occupies dry, rocky, open habitats including limestone glades, sand prairies, sandy savannas, and thin-soiled bluffs. In the Ottawa-Gatineau region it is found on the Eardley Escarpment in open oak woodland on calcareous bedrock, and on sandy river islands. It colonizes disturbed sites such as old fields and road cuts, forming small thickets via rhizomatous spread.
S10 dry rocky prairies, old fields, open woods; S4 dry rocky habitats; S48 Gatineau specimens on Eardley Escarpment and river islands; S62 Constance Bay Sandhills, Lemieux Islands
Permaculture & Companion Planting
- Roles
- Fortress/Barrier, Insectary Plant, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Insectary Plant: S64 NPPBI 'beneficial insects' flag] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [HIGH]: S64 Xerces listed (source-classified)]
- Notes
- Fragrant sumac functions well on the sunny edge of woodland food forests, providing a low barrier and insectary shrub layer. Its rhizomatous root system stabilizes dry, rocky, or sandy slopes. Dioecious, so both male and female plants are needed for fruit production. Best planted in drifts or masses to mimic its natural colonial habit.
S29 Food Forest, soil stabilization; S4 colonizes to form thickets, plant en mass; S3 dioecious
Medicinal Properties ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →
ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →- Category
- Astringent, Diuretic, Dermatological Aid, Antidiarrheal
S29 astringent, diuretic; S28 Natchez dermatological aid, Ojibwa antidiarrheal
- Notes
- Root bark, leaves, and fruits all used medicinally by multiple Indigenous peoples. The Natchez applied root poultices to boils. The Ojibwa used bark and berries in medicine ceremonies, and the Southern Ojibwa used a compound root decoction for diarrhea. The root bark is astringent and diuretic, used for diarrhea, dysentery, and externally for skin eruptions and sore throats. Fruits chewed for stomach aches and toothaches.
Edibility & Foraging ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
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ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →✅ Edible
- Foraging Notes
- Berries can be soaked in hot or cold water for 10-30 minutes to make a refreshing lemonade-like drink; the mixture should not be boiled as this releases tannic acids. The fruit can also be dried and ground into powder for use in cakes and porridges. The Midoo pounded and ate the berries directly. The Lakota mixed the leaves with tobacco and smoked them.
- Toxicity
-
⚠️ Moderate Toxicity
Not listed in Cornell poisonous plants database. Some unsubstantiated suggestions that the sap may cause skin rash in susceptible individuals, but this species is not in the toxic group of Rhus (now Toxicodendron). Non-poisonous species are distinguished by compound terminal panicles and fruits covered with acid crimson hairs, unlike the axillary panicles and smooth fruits of toxic relatives such as poison ivy.
S38 not listed; S29 sap rash unsubstantiated, distinguishing features described
Seed Source
- Incredible Seed Co.