Smooth Sumac
Rhus glabra
Found in disturbed areas, clearings, roadsides, woodlands. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you
92
Keystone
Native to West Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 100%
- 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?
At a glance
- Life cycle
- Woody perennial
- Leaves
- Deciduous
- Bloom
- Spring and summer
- Fruiting season
- June to October
Recorded in 20 West 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
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.
Also found with this plant
Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 55 animals.
- Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor
- White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensis
- White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrys
- White-winged CrossbillLoxia leucoptera
- Wood ThrushHylocichla mustelina
- Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus varius
- Yellow-billed CuckooCoccyzus americanus
Widespread birds also seen here (42)
Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.
- American Crow
- American Goldfinch
- American Kestrel
- American Robin
- Belted Kingfisher
- Black-billed Cuckoo
- Blue Grosbeak
- Blue Jay
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
- Cedar Waxwing
- Chimney Swift
- Chipping Sparrow
- Common Nighthawk
- Common Raven
- Cooper's Hawk
- Dark-eyed Junco
- Eastern Kingbird
- Eastern Towhee
- European Starling
- Fox Sparrow
- Gray Catbird
- Great Crested Flycatcher
- Great Horned Owl
- Least Flycatcher
- Mourning Dove
- Northern Cardinal
- Northern Flicker
- Northern Mockingbird
- Olive-sided Flycatcher
- Orange-crowned Warbler
- Osprey
- Purple Finch
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Spotted Sandpiper
- Tufted Titmouse
- Turkey Vulture
- Wild Turkey
- Yellow-breasted Chat
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
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
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 West Virginia
Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Birds whose range includes West Virginia, 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
- Pine Grosbeak1 diet record
- Red-winged Blackbird1 diet record
Direct food only. 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
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
- Pine GrosbeakPinicola enucleator
- Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus
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; Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition, 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” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Fruit ends · “October” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (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
| West Virginia rank | S5 |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G5 |
| WV 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
- Spreads by rhizomes. USDA PLANTS lists its growth form as rhizomatous. USDA PLANTS
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)
- Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025)
- West Virginia 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