Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
81
Keystone
Native to Arkansas. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 100%
- Height
- 2–6 feet
- Spread
- 6–10 feet
- Light
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil moisture
- Somewhat dry to moist
Space about 8 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count
Will it fit your yard?
At a glance
- Life cycle
- Woody perennial
- Leaves
- Deciduous
- Bloom
- Spring
- Fruiting season
- Summer
Recorded in 50 Arkansas counties.
Also found with this plant
Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Arkansas. Shared habitat, not food. 50 animals.
Widespread birds also seen here (77)
Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.
- American Goldfinch
- American Kestrel
- American Robin
- Bald Eagle
- Baltimore Oriole
- Bank Swallow
- Belted Kingfisher
- Bewick's Wren
- Black-and-White Warbler
- Black-crowned Night-heron
- Blue Grosbeak
- Blue Jay
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
- Brown Creeper
- Brown Thrasher
- Canada Goose
- Carolina Chickadee
- Cedar Waxwing
- Chimney Swift
- Chipping Sparrow
- Cliff Swallow
- Common Nighthawk
- Common Yellowthroat
- Cooper's Hawk
- Dark-eyed Junco
- Double-crested Cormorant
- Downy Woodpecker
- Eastern Bluebird
- Eastern Kingbird
- Eastern Screech-owl
- Eastern Wood-pewee
- Eurasian Collared-dove
- European Starling
- Fox Sparrow
- Golden-crowned Kinglet
- Gray Catbird
- Great Horned Owl
- Hairy Woodpecker
- Harris's Sparrow
- Hermit Thrush
- Hooded Merganser
- Indigo Bunting
- Lincoln's Sparrow
- Mallard
- Mourning Dove
- Northern Cardinal
- Northern Flicker
- Northern Mockingbird
- Orange-crowned Warbler
- Orchard Oriole
- Osprey
- Pileated Woodpecker
- Pine Siskin
- Prairie Warbler
- Purple Finch
- Red-bellied Woodpecker
- Red-headed Woodpecker
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- Ruby-throated Hummingbird
- Rusty Blackbird
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Spotted Sandpiper
- Summer Tanager
- Tree Swallow
- Tufted Titmouse
- Turkey Vulture
- White-breasted Nuthatch
- White-crowned Sparrow
- White-throated Sparrow
- Wild Turkey
- Wood Thrush
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
- Yellow-billed Cuckoo
- Yellow-breasted Chat
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
Care
- Avoid poorly drained ground.
Care sources
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
53CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AR
Genus host records with ranges including AR · Rhus
- Actias lunaLuna Moth
- Citheronia regalisRegal Moth
- Achatia distinctaDistinct Quaker
- Acronicta longaLong-Winged Dagger, Darkish Dagger
- Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
- Antepione thisoariaVariable Antepione
- Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
- Archips georgianaFireworm, Georgia Leafroller
- Archips purpuranaOmnivorous Leafroller Moth
- Argyrotaenia quercifolianaYellow-Winged Oak Leafroller Moth, Lined Oak Leafroller
Show all 53
- Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
- Caloptilia belfragellaDogwood Caloptilia
- Caloptilia rhoifoliellaSumac Leafblotch Miner Moth, Sumac Caloptilia
- Calycopis cecropsRed-Banded Hairstreak, Cecrops Hairstreak
- Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
- Chloropteryx tepperariaAngled-Winged Emerald
- Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
- Cleora sublunariaDouble-Lined Gray
- Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
- Datana perspicuaSpotted Dantana
- Datana robustaRobust Datana
- Derrima stellataPink Star
- Dichorda iridariaShowy Emerald
- Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
- Episimus argutanaSumac Leaftier
- Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
- Holcocera chalcofrontellaSumac Holcocera
- Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
- Iridopsis defectariaBrown-Shaded Gray, Willow Looper
- Marathyssa basalisLight Marathyssa
- Marathyssa inficitaDark Marathyssa
- Marathyssa pulcherrimusBeautiful Eutelia
- Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
- Moodna ostrinellaDarker Moodna
- Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
- Nemoria bifilataWhite-Barred Emerald
- Nemoria rubrifrontariaRed-Fronted Emerald
- Olethreutes permundanaRaspberry Leafroller
- Paectes abrostolellaBarren Paectes
- Paectes oculatrixEyed Paectes
- Paectes pygmaeaPygmy Paectes
- Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
- Pleuroprucha insulsariaCommon Tan Wave
- Pococera asperatellaMaple Webworm
- Pseudochelaria walsinghamiWalsingham's Moth
- Pyrrhia ciliscaAmerican Bordered Sallow, Noble Sun Moth
- Sciota subfuscellaStriped Sumac Leafroller
- Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
- Telphusa longifasciellaY-Backed Telphusa
- Tetracis crocallataYellow Slant-Line
- Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
- Paralobesia rhoifructana
- Stigmella intermedia
52BeesSoutheastern regional records
Southeastern regional records · Rhus
Individual names are not available yet.
Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
17BirdsRecorded eating Rhus in Arkansas
Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Birds whose range includes Arkansas, most records first.
- Ruffed GrouseFruit. 46 diet records
- Wild TurkeyFruit. 10 diet records
- American RobinFruit. 6 diet records
- Hermit ThrushFruit and seeds. 4 diet records
- Northern Bobwhite4 diet records
- VeeryFruit and seeds. 4 diet records
- Eastern BluebirdFruit. 3 diet records
- Swainson's ThrushFruit and seeds. 3 diet records
- White-eyed Vireo2 diet records
- Blue-headed Vireo1 diet record
Show all 17
- Eastern KingbirdFruit. 1 diet record
- European Starling1 diet record
- Evening Grosbeak1 diet record
- Northern CardinalFruit. 1 diet record
- Northern Mockingbird1 diet record
- Red-winged Blackbird1 diet record
- Spotted TowheeSeeds. 1 diet record
Direct food only. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening
No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects
Birds that eat Rhus 17
Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab), CC0 1.0.
- Ruffed GrouseBonasa umbellus
- Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavo
- American RobinTurdus migratorius
- Hermit ThrushCatharus guttatus
- Northern BobwhiteColinus virginianus
- VeeryCatharus fuscescens
- Eastern BluebirdSialia sialis
- Swainson's ThrushCatharus ustulatus
- White-eyed VireoVireo griseus
- Blue-headed VireoVireo solitarius
- Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus
- European StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Evening GrosbeakCoccothraustes vespertinus
- Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis
- Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottos
- Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus
- Spotted TowheePipilo maculatus
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Anacardiaceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 3a–9b
- Soil pH
- Acidic
- Flower color
- Yellow or green
- Fruit begins
- Summer
- Fruit ends
- Summer
What its natural habitat tells you
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “Spring” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differs)
- Flower color · “Yellow or green” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
- Fruit begins · “Summer” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox · Species profile fruit display season; not a local ripening date
- Fruit ends · “Summer” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox · Species profile fruit display season; not a local ripening date
- Hardiness · “Zones 3a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differs)
- Height · “2–6 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differs)
- Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
- Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
- Soil · “Good drainage; Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
- Soil pH · “Acidic” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
- Spread · “6–10 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Conservation status
| Arkansas rank | S3 |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G5 |
| AR status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
In your garden
Will it fit your yard?
Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.
Choose a county to begin.
Growing cautions
- Suckers and forms colonies. Spreads by root suckers into colonies and thickets. NC State Extension Plant Toolbox
- Needs good drainage. Avoid poorly drained ground. NC State Extension Plant Toolbox
For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.
Sources
- NatureServe Explorer
- USDA PLANTS
- Vascular Plants of North Carolina (NC Natural Heritage Program)
- Arkansas occurrence source
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications