Smooth Sumac
Rhus glabra
- Plant Type
- Shrub (Deciduous)
- Landscape Layer
- Shrub
- Sun
- ☀️ Full Sun, ⛅ Part Sun, ☁️ Shade
- Moisture
- 🏜️ Dry, 💧 Regular
- Soil
- Loam, Sand, Silt, Rocky / Acidic, Calcareous
- Bloom
- April, May
- 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 brevipalpis
S17 Andrena (Thysandrena) brevipalpis, oligolege on Rhus; range CT-MA-NC-NH-NJ-NY-PA-RI-VA-VT-WV
- ❄️ Winter Food Source
- Persistent red drupes remain on erect panicles from autumn through winter, providing a critical food source for American Robin, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkey, Pine Grosbeak, and Cedar Waxwing. Cottontail Rabbit gnaws bark during winter.
S57 diet database records; S10 fruits persist into winter, many bird species eat from autumn to spring
Ecology & Conservation
- Proximity Score
- 2
- Native Status
- ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ✅ ON
- Closest Direction
- SE
- CEC Eco-Regions
- 8 – Eastern Temperate Forests, 8.1 – Mixed Wood Plains, 8.1.7 – Northeastern Coastal Zone
- Rarity Notes
- Secure (S5) in Ontario with wide distribution across southern regions. Quebec rank SU (Unrankable) reflects uncertain status; VASCAN lists QC occurrence as extirpated. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. Global rank G5, IUCN Least Concern.
S22 G5, S5 ON, SU QC, no SARA; S1 QC extirpated; S26 not SARA listed
- Rarity Ranks
- QC SU – Unrankable, ON S5 – Secure
- Migration
- Stable
- Ecological Context
- A pioneer shrub of dry, open, disturbed habitats including roadsides, field margins, and forest edges. Spreads vigorously by rhizomes to form dense clonal colonies on well-drained soils. Native to Ontario (S5) but only marginally present in Quebec where VASCAN lists it as extirpated. Nearest confirmed QC herbarium specimens are from Farnham (1947-1955), well southeast of the Outaouais.
S10 roadsides, fields, forest edges; S1 native ON, extirpated QC; S54 Farnham specimens; S22 S5 in ON, SU in QC
Permaculture & Companion Planting
- Roles
- Erosion Control, Fire Retardant, Fortress/Barrier, Insectary Plant, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Erosion Control: S61 keyword match: erosion (supporting signal only)] | Fire Retardant: S73 [MEDIUM]: S11 Fire Tolerance = High (not definitional)] | 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
- Functions as a pioneer species for establishing woodland edges and as a soil stabilizer on impossible slopes. Dense rhizomatous colonies provide significant wildlife cover and windbreak screening. Can be rejuvenated by coppicing to ground level in mid-winter every few years.
S29 pioneer for woodlands, soil stabilization, shelter screen, coppicing; S4 rejuvenation by cutting to ground
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
- Alterative, Antiseptic, Astringent, Diuretic, Emetic, Febrifuge, Galactogogue, Haemostatic, Rubefacient, Tonic
S29 PFAF medicinal categories; S28 25 drug/medicine uses across multiple nations
- Notes
- Widely used by Indigenous peoples including Cherokee, Chippewa, Creek, and Flathead nations. Bark or root bark tea used as antiseptic astringent for diarrhoea, fevers, sore mouths, and rectal bleeding. Root infusion used for colds, sore throats, and dysentery. Berries used as diuretic, emetic, and for late-onset diabetes. Blossoms chewed for sore mouths and used as eyewash. Milky latex applied as salve on sores.
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.
Click here for more info →
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
- Fruit soaked in hot or cold water for 10-30 minutes produces a refreshing lemonade-like drink high in vitamin C; mixture should not be boiled to avoid releasing tannic acids. Berries chewed to quench thirst. Young shoots peeled and eaten raw by Indigenous peoples. Bark eaten as a delicacy by children. Cherokee, Comanche, and Flathead among many nations with documented food uses.
S29 lemonade drink, edible parts; S28 9 food uses across multiple nations; S4 sour fruit chewed or prepared as drink
- Toxicity
-
⚠️ Moderate Toxicity
Not toxic. Cornell poisonous plants database does not list this species. USDA Toxicity rated None. PFAF notes unsubstantiated suggestions that sap may cause skin rash in susceptible people. Non-poisonous Rhus species are distinguished by compound terminal panicles and fruits covered with acid crimson hairs, unlike the poisonous Toxicodendron species which have axillary panicles and smooth fruits.
S38 not listed; S11 Toxicity=None; S29 sap rash unsubstantiated, distinguishing features
Seed Source
- Arboquebecium