Extremely hardy. Drought and salt tolerant. Does not tolerate shade or wet soil. Good erosion control plant as it spreads by root suckers forming colonies and thickets. Excellent fall color and distinctive red fruit. Deer resistant. Attracts pollinators. Fruit provides a source of food for many birds and woodland mammals. Staghorn sumac is dioecious, meaning that it has individually male and female plants.

Height : 15-30 feet Spread : 15-25 feet

Light : Full sun to part shade Water : Dry to moist

Soil : Sand, loam, clay Zone : 4-8

Leaves : Bright green in summer turning yellow, orange and scarlet in the fall

Stem : Extremely velvety, reddish-brown stems on young branches and smooth gray stems on older branches that do not bear leaves

Flower : Male flowers are greenish yellow in June-July, not particularly showy

Fruit : Red, hairy fruit spikes mature in late August and persist through winter. Bright crimson in early fall that becomes duller through winter into spring

Habit : Fast growing, large deciduous shrub. Loose spreading shape or open tree form with a flat crown and unique crooked branches

Key Pollinators : Bumblebees, mining bees

Pollinator Food Source: Nectar & pollen

Larval Host Plant : Red-banded hairstreak