Smooth Sumac

Rhus glabra

Found in disturbed areas, clearings, roadsides, woodlands. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

Keystone

Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

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Height: 9–15 feet
Spread: 9–15 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 12 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

Rhus glabra — fruit/foliage photograph — (c) Timon T. K., some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Woody perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: Spring and summer
Fruiting season: June to October

Recorded in 100 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement.

Named place / source context. Shown: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Georgia and Tennessee; which part is not recorded, a neighboring state.Wooded scene looking out over partially open fields, Richard Schlecht, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Habitats

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground; forest edges and thickets; forests and woodlands.

Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there. All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 107 animals.

American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Birds. 2 shared habitats
American Goldfinch
Carduelis tristis
Birds. 2 shared habitats
American Kestrel
Falco sparverius
Birds. 2 shared habitats
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Birds. 2 shared habitats
American Tree Sparrow
Spizella arborea
Birds. 2 shared habitats
American Woodcock
Scolopax minor
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Belted Kingfisher
Megaceryle alcyon
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Blue Grosbeak
Passerina caerulea
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Polioptila caerulea
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Brown Creeper
Certhia americana
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Brown Thrasher
Toxostoma rufum
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Carolina Chickadee
Poecile carolinensis
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Cedar Waxwing
Bombycilla cedrorum
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Chimney Swift
Chaetura pelagica
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Chuck-will's-widow
Caprimulgus carolinensis
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Common Nighthawk
Chordeiles minor
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Cooper's Hawk
Accipiter cooperii
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Double-crested Cormorant
Phalacrocorax auritus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Downy Woodpecker
Picoides pubescens
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis
Birds. 2 shared habitats

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

57CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · 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 57

Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
Caloptilia belfragellaDogwood Caloptilia
Caloptilia rhoifoliellaSumac Leafblotch Miner Moth, Sumac Caloptilia
Calycopis cecropsRed-Banded Hairstreak, Cecrops Hairstreak
Cameraria guttifinitellaPoison Ivy Leafminer
Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
Celastrina neglectaSummer Azure
Chloropteryx tepperariaAngled-Winged Emerald
Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
Cleora sublunariaDouble-Lined Gray
Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
Datana perspicuaSpotted Dantana
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
Lophocampa caryaeHickory Tussock Moth, Hickory Tiger Moth
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 appendiceumServiceberry Leafroller
Olethreutes permundanaRaspberry Leafroller
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
Spiramater lutraDarling Mamestra, Splashed Arches, Otter Spiramater, Otter Arches
Telphusa longifasciellaY-Backed Telphusa
Tetracis crocallataYellow Slant-Line
Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
Paralobesia cypripediana
Paralobesia rhoifructana
Schreckensteinia erythriella

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

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

32BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Rhus

Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird
Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
Callipepla gambeliiGambel's Quail
Cardinalis cardinalisNorthern Cardinal
Catharus fuscescensVeery
Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
Catharus minimus/bicknelliGray-cheeked/Bicknell's Thrush

Show all 32

Catharus ustulatusSwainson's Thrush
Centrocercus urophasianusGreater Sage-Grouse
Coccothraustes vespertinusEvening Grosbeak
Colinus virginianusNorthern Bobwhite
Ixoreus naeviusVaried Thrush
Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
Mimus polyglottosNorthern Mockingbird
Myadestes townsendiTownsend's Solitaire
Oreortyx pictusMountain Quail
Patagioenas fasciataBand-tailed Pigeon
Pheucticus melanocephalusBlack-headed Grosbeak
Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
Pipilo maculatusSpotted Towhee
Sialia currucoidesMountain Bluebird
Sialia mexicanaWestern Bluebird
Sturnus vulgarisEuropean Starling
Tyrannus tyrannusEastern Kingbird
Vireo gilvusWarbling Vireo
Vireo griseusWhite-eyed Vireo
Vireo huttoniHutton's Vireo
Vireo olivaceusRed-eyed Vireo
Vireo solitariusBlue-headed Vireo

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

1AntsRecorded seed interactions

Pogonomyrmex badius

Pogonomyrmex badius: Seed predation.

Beetles 1

Mordella melaena

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Flies 28

Anthrax sinuosa
Archytas analis
Archytas aterrima
Baccha fuscipennis
Belvosia bifasciata
Bombylius atriceps
Eristalis flavipes
Eristalis tenax
Helicobia 4-setosa
Limnophora narona

Show all 28

Lucilia sylvarum
Mallota posticata
Morellia micans
Orthoneura nitida
Peleteria robusta
Physocephala tibialis
Sarcophaga hunteri
Sarcophaga sinuata
Siphona geniculata
Spallanzania hesperidarum
Sphaerophoria cylindrica
Stomoxys calcitrans
Stratiomyia apicula
Stratiomyia meigenii
Syrphus americanus
Syrphus ribesii
Zodion fulvifrons
Zodion nanellum

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Adult butterflies / moths 1

Thecla calanus

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Other wasps 16

Bicyrtes ventralis
Cerceris compar
Cerceris fumipennis
Cerceris insolita
Isodontia apicalis
Leionotus arvensis
Mimesa cressonii
Monobia 4-dens
Philanthus punctatus
Polistes pallipes

Show all 16

Pompiloides marginatus
Priononyx thomae
Sphex procera
Sphex vulgaris
Vipio robertsonii
Zethus spinipes

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

No records yet · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Anacardiaceae
Hardiness: Zones 3a–9b
Soil pH: Acidic to neutral
Flower color: Green or white
Growth rate: Moderate
Growth habit: Spreads by rhizomes
Foliage color: Green
Fruit begins: June
Fruit ends: October

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “Spring and summer” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), USDA PLANTS differ)
Flower color · “Green or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differ)
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “June” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “October” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Growth habit · “Spreads by rhizomes” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 3a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differs)
Height · “9–15 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differ)
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 Cooperative Extension, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differ)
Soil · “Good drainage; Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differ)
Soil pH · “Acidic to neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
Spread · “9–15 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Conservation status

Virginia rank	S5
Global rank	G5
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Growing cautions

Spreads by rhizomes. USDA PLANTS lists its growth form as rhizomatous. USDA PLANTS

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Smooth Sumac

At a glance

Natural habitats

Habitats

Also found with this plant

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Growing cautions

Sources

More Rhus