Rhus aromatica, or Fragrant Sumac, is a deciduous, thicket-forming shrub found in dry, open woods in most states of eastern U.S. (In NC, it is found mostly in piedmont counties.) Fragrant Sumac has a variable, sprawling, irregular form. It is reported by some to grow as tall as 12 feet in some areas, more like 6 feet in others. ‘Gro-low’ is a selection which reliably grows to only 2 to 3 feet at maturity by 6 to 8 feet wide. (The USDA distribution map, link below, is for the species.) However, ‘Gro-low maintains the other, desirable, characters of the species. For instance, the aromatic foliage is lustrous and attractive and turns beautiful shades of golds and reds and purples in fall. Small, yellow female flowers appear before leaves have expanded in the spring, attracting butterflies and moths and other insects (the male catkins are produced later in the season and overwinter). The dark, hairy, red berries which follow are popular with birds. Gro-low’s roots are deep and highly branched and it is often recommended for stabilizing a bank. Its nature is to form colonies by tip-rooting as well as by suckering. Grown singly in a mixed border, it is not difficult to control its spread, but it shines as a mass planting or ground cover.
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Rhus aromatica ‘Gro-low’
Key Info
Scientific Name: Rhus aromatica Aiton cv. 'Gro-low'
Common Names: Fragrant Sumac, Lemon Sumac, Polecat Sumac, Skunkbush
Family Names: Anacardiaceae (Sumac or Cashew Family)
Plant Type: Tree / Shrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Flower Color: Yellow
Special Characteristics: Tolerates urban pollution, Tolerates dry conditions, Attracts butterflies, Leaves aromatic, Good fall color, Attracts birds, Rhizomatous
Additional Info
Habit: Spreading shrub wtih dense branching, crown diameter often exceeding height. Stems are thin and brownish-gray and, like the leaves, are aromatic when crushed. There are no terminal buds, but overwintering male catkins are present. This plant grows in colonies by vegetative suckering and rooting in of low-lying branches, with deep, highly branched root system.
Height: 2' - 3'
Spread: Indeterminate
Soil Conditions: Mildly acid to alkaline soils, medium to dry, well drained.
Leaves: Alternate, 1½ to 3 inch long, compound leaves are trifolate (3 leaflets), the center leaflet a little larger than the other two. Leaf margins are irregularly toothed or lobed. Often glossy on upper surface, paler and pubescent beneath. Shiny dark green in summer turning a mixture of red, burgundy, purple and green in fall. The leaves resemble those of poison ivy, and one internet source (out of many) reported a temporary and mild skin rash from contact with the foliage, but this shrub is non-poisonous. Leaves emit a lemon scent when crushed.
Flowers (or reproductive structures: Fragrant Sumac is sometimes monoecious, but usually dioecious. 'Gro-low' has both male and female flowers. Greenish yellow female flowers occur in dense panicles at the ends of shoots or in leaf axils before leaf expansion. Tan-brown inch-long male catkins develop on short lateral shoots during the summer, and persist through winter to fertilize female flowers the following spring.
Fruit: Female flowers develop into hairy, red berries each containing a single very hard seed, from June to August.
Natural Distribution: Dry, open woodlands.
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-9
USDA Wetland Indicator Status in NC: UPL
Pollination: Bees, flies, many insects.
Wildlife Connections: For wild type plants (or 'Gro-low' planted in a natural area), the berries are important food for many birds, including game birds such as turkeys ruffed grouse, and songbirds, robins, sparrows, goldfinch, chickadees and flickers; and foliage supports browsers, small mammals.
Propagation: Cuttings, tip layering, air layering.