Staghorn Sumac

Rhus typhina

Found in roadsides, old pastures, thickets, clearings, rock outcrops, barrens. 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: About 30 feet
Spread: 20–30 feet
Light: Full sun
Soil moisture: Dry to average

Space about 25 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

Rhus typhina — foliage photograph — John Dziak · CC0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: May to June
Fruiting season: June to September

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Recorded in 54 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 3

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.

Rock outcrop on a mountain summit. Shown: Sassafras Mountain, on the North Carolina and South Carolina line, a neighboring state.Sassafras Mountain rock outcrop, Alan M. Cressler / U.S. Geological Survey, undated. Public domain. Source record. Faithful JPEG display decode of embedded JP2; no AI or color enhancement. Phone derivative resized proportionally.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 120 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 Woodcock
Scolopax minor
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Belted Kingfisher
Megaceryle alcyon
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Black-and-White Warbler
Mniotilta varia
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Black-billed Cuckoo
Coccyzus erythropthalmus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Black-capped Chickadee
Poecile atricapillus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Dendroica caerulescens
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
Cerulean Warbler
Dendroica cerulea
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

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

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Anacardiaceae
Hardiness: Zones 3–8
Soil pH: Neutral
Flower color: Red
Growth rate: Rapid
Growth habit: Single crown
Foliage color: Green
Fruit begins: June
Fruit ends: September

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

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “May to June” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Red” · USDA PLANTS (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs) · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
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 · “September” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Growth habit · “Single crown” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 3–8” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
Height · “About 30 feet” · USDA PLANTS (ranked first; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differs) · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Leaves · “Deciduous” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Leaf retention · “Deciduous” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Life cycle · “Perennial” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Light · “Full sun” · Tennessee Smart Yards (ranked first; Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differ) · Published Tennessee growing guidance; exact cached scientific heading
Soil · “medium to dry” · Tennessee Smart Yards (ranked first; Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differ) · Published Tennessee growing guidance; exact cached scientific heading
Soil pH · “Neutral” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Spread · “20–30 feet” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder

Conservation status

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

Conservation source Global and federal source

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Staghorn Sumac

At a glance

Natural habitats

Also found with this plant

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Sources

More Rhus