Staghorn Sumac

I posted this question within someone else's thread but it I think it has gone unnoticed, so thought I would start a thread.

We had a staghorn sumac in the garden where I grew up and I loved it, so did the birds.

I would like to plant one in my garden, as I think it could be the answer to my screening problems, but I'd like a little advice from other peoples experiences if possible.

I keep reading 'poison sumac' on google - is that relevant?

Also, How quickly does it grow? I would like to buy one already quite large, but wondered how quickly it grows to a decent size.

 

Hi victoria Plum. Sorry I didn't see your earlier post.
I love Staghorn Sumach. it grows quickly, doesn't get too big and you can cut it to any size you like. it does fabulous colour in the autumn.

I keep reading that it's a thug that seeds all over the place. I've always had it in my garden and never had that problem. It does make a sucker every year but it's easy to remove and can be planted elsewhere.
Maybe others can tell you if it spread all over the place for them or stayed put like mine.

 

Its not a tree I have grown so I'm not talking from experience, but I think suckering of trees in general is caused by root damage.
In other words if you plant it somewhere where you do not cultivate the soil around its root area, it probably will not sucker at all.

 

I like them too.

I have one which I have, over the years, re-sited at least four times and it hasn't ever suckered-much to my disappointment ( but that's sod's law isn't it). I haven't any reason to think they would be particularly invasive-maybe my soil conditions are no good for their seedlings but still, I would expect to see a handful if they are to outdo the oak saplings that sprout up all over the place.

 

Nope Pete. mine suckered in a totally uncultivated area - it just did it, the suckers coming up a few feet away from the parent. But as I said, not a problem, quite easy to take a spade and chop the sucker off - free new tree.

 

I dont mean that suckers are unheard of if uncultivated, hence the word "probably", I'm just trying to say that most people that find them a problem are digging around the tree all the time creating a miniature forest.

 

Well, I was kinda preparing myself for everyone to say - AH! DON'T DO IT!! But since that hasn't happened I am rather looking forward to getting one!

Does anyone know what is meant by 'poison sumac' as google threw it up, or is that a different type?

 

They're different plants Victoria Plum
Staghorn sumac is Rhus typhina.
Poison sumac is Rhus Vernix.
If you google them both you'll see the difference.

 

Brilliant - thanks Alice for clearing my confusion!

I know that lots of plants are poisonous, but when a plant has poisonous as its first name it does rather cause alarm!

 

Firstly we need to establish what your screening problem is to see whether a sumach is ther suitable option. Sumacs lose their leaves in winter, leaving you with a very bare tree. Would this not mean a loss of screening?

Tree growth rate, mature size, how well is propegates etc. is dependent on a variety of factors including tree health, soil type, ground water availability and nutrient levels in the soil. On the whole they can be a decent sized shrub rather than a tree, that can send out many shoots via underground suckers. I've seen neatly contained sumacs and I've seen sumacs that have created dense thickets all from one plant that are hard to control. Luck of the draw and how you maintain it I guess.

 

Well, I only really have a problem while it is warm enough to sit in the garden. They are building some houses (just two) down the road, and they face in our direction. The upstairs windows can see into our garden. When we are sitting we will be unseen, but standing, and sitting further up the garden. It's not that we are naturists or anything, heaven forbid! But just that we have loved the feeling that we are not overlooked. We just need cover for the bit the hedge doesn't reach, so from 5 foot to 7 foot?

I'm getting the impression they can be a bot like this! Our soil type is sandy loam, and even though there doesn't seem to be a huge amount of organic matter in it at present (moved in last April and have been adding manure and mulching. The place where we would put it has just been seeded but was previously a veg bed for old lady who lived here before) plants which have come from my Dad's house (where his soil is rich and dark) seem to love it here and absolutely thrive (much to his annoyance) I have to say he is rather proud of me, and claims I have green fingers!! So the soil must be full of nutrients.

 

Although it's perhaps not that widely appreciated all Rhus species are toxic if ingested and Rhus typhina is certainly no different, despite (or maybe resulting in??) it's use in traditional Native American medicine.

Some people are supposedly highly allergic to the sap and leaves by touch (this is the genus to which poison ivy & poison oak used to belong after all!) and just brushing against the foliage is said to bring the skin up in blisters. I grow about half a dozen different species of Rhus (including the cut-leaf form of Stag's-Horn Sumach) and although I don't think I'm succeptible to the leaf-rash thing I'm always careful to avoid the foliage when possible. I wouldn't recommend growing any Rhus if there are young children in the garden or where a neighbour could contact the plant.

 

I love this tree. I lift the suckers and plant them around. I cut them hard every spring and you get a lovely feathery shrub with huge leaves. They are lovely like this at the edge of the border. I didn't know they were poisonous. I am allergic to just about everything but have never had a problem handling thes. I will keep the grandchildren away from them.

 

Plantmatum, I am now confused again...

This web site http//:www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/poytd/2009/10/rhus_typhina.php says no parts of rhus typhina are poisonous!

And this one... http://www.rewild.info/fieldguide/index.php?title=Sumac

Aagh.... the confusion.