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Fragrant Sumac

Rhus aromatica

81
Keystone

Native to West Virginia. 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 13 West Virginia counties.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 53 animals.

All wildlife of West Virginia

Care

  • Avoid poorly drained ground.
Care sources
Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

49CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · 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 purpuranaOmnivorous Leafroller Moth
  • Argyrotaenia quercifolianaYellow-Winged Oak Leafroller Moth, Lined Oak Leafroller
  • Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
Show all 49
  • Caloptilia belfragellaDogwood Caloptilia
  • Caloptilia rhoifoliellaSumac Leafblotch Miner Moth, Sumac Caloptilia
  • Calycopis cecropsRed-Banded Hairstreak, Cecrops Hairstreak
  • Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
  • 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 rubrifrontariaRed-Fronted Emerald
  • Olethreutes appendiceumServiceberry Leafroller
  • Olethreutes permundanaRaspberry Leafroller
  • Paectes oculatrixEyed 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 rhoifructana
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 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

West Virginia rankS4
Global rankG5
WV statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

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

Sources