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| ## smooth sumac {#smooth-sumac .Title-Header}                         |
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| *Rhus glabra* L.                                                      |
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| Plant Symbol = RHGL                                                   |
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Contributed by: USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center

### 

##### Alternate Names

Scarlet sumac

##### Uses

*Ethnobotanic*: This was a widely used species among Native American
tribes. The uses included the making of a root and leaf tea to treat
diarrhea, dysentery, and mouth/throat ulcers. The leaves of the plant
were smoked for asthma. The blossoms were used by the Chippewa in a
mouthwash for teething children. Comanche children enjoyed the sour acid
taste of the fruits and leaves were added to tobacco for smoking by
adults. Dye was also created from various parts of the smooth sumac. The
fruits were used to make red dyes and the inner bark used to make yellow
dyes.

##### Status

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural
Resources for this plant's current status (e.g. threatened or endangered
species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

##### Weediness

This plant may become weedy or invasive in some regions or habitats and
may displace desirable vegetation if not properly managed. Please
consult with your local NRCS Field Office, Cooperative Extension Service
office, or state natural resource or agriculture department regarding
its status and use. Weed information is also available from the PLANTS
Web site at plants.usda.gov.

##### 

##### Description

######## General: Sumac Family (Anacardiaceae). Smooth sumac can be a shrub or small tree growing up to 3 meters in height. Smooth sumac forms thickets from root suckers. The stems and branches are hairless and covered with a whitish waxy coating. The leaves are alternate and pinnately compound (3-5 dm long). Smooth sumac has 11-31 leaflets that are lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate (7-9 cm long). The leaflets taper to a point at the tip and are rounded at the base. The margins are sharply serrated. The upper surface is dark green and lustrous. The lower surface is covered with a whitish waxy coating. Smooth sumac has a branched, racemose inflorescence with flowers maturing from the bottom up (10-25 cm long). The flowers have a greenish color. The drupes have a flattened-globe shape (3.5-4.5 mm long) and are covered with red, sticky hairs. The seeds are yellowish in color and smooth (3-3.5 mm long).![](media/image2.jpeg){width="2.5395833333333333in" height="1.9569444444444444in"}

*Distribution*: For current distribution, please consult the Plant
Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

*Habitat*: Smooth sumac is found in open woodlands, prairies, on dry
rocky hillsides, and in canyons.

##### Adaptation

Smooth sumac vigorously resprouts from rhizomes following fire. The
rhizomes are usually located between 3 and 12 inches below the soil
surface and this may provide protection from heat during a fire.

##### Establishment

Propagation of smooth sumac can occur by use of seeds or root cuttings.
Seeds germinate best when exposed to continuous light and alternating
warm and cool temperatures. Smooth sumac grows best in poor,
well-drained soils, with partial to full sun. However, smooth sumac is a
hardy species and will tolerate many soil types including soil that is
slightly saline.

##### Pests and Potential Problems

If grown in its native habitat and using a local seed stock, the smooth
sumac should not be prone to debilitating pests or problems.

##### Cultivars, Improved, and Selected Materials (and area of origin)

These materials are readily available from commercial plant sources.
Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly Soil
Conservation Service) office for more information. Look in the phone
book under "United States Government." The Natural Resources
Conservation Service will be listed under the subheading "Department of
Agriculture."

##### 

##### Control

##### Please contact your local agricultural extension specialist or county weed specialist to learn what works best in your area and how to use it safely. Always read label and safety instructions for each control method. Trade names and control measures appear in this document only to provide specific information. USDA NRCS does not guarantee or warranty the products and control methods named, and other products may be equally effective.

##### References

Carlson, G.G. & V.H. Jones. 1940. *Some notes on uses of plants by the
Comanche Indians*. Papers of the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts, and
Letters 25:517-542.

Correl, D.S. & M.C. Johnston. 1970. *Manual of the vascular plants of
Texas*. Texas Research Foundation, Renner.

Corley, W., J. Midcap, M. Garber, & G. Wade. 2001. *A compilation of
low-maintenance plants for Georgia
landscapes.*(<http://www.ces.uga.edu/Agriculture/horticulture/low-maintenance.html>).
The University of Georgia, College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences Cooperative Extension Service, Athens.

Densmore, F. 1974. *How Indians use wild plants for food, medicine, and
crafts*. Dover Publications Inc., New York.

Foster, S. & J.A. Duke. 2000. *A field guide to medicinal plants and
herbs of eastern and central North America*. 2^nd^ edition. Houghton
Mifflin Co., Boston.

Great Plains Flora Association. 1986. *Flora of the Great Plains.*
University Press of Kansas, Lawrence.

Gilmore, M. 1977. *Uses of plants by the Indians of the Missouri river
region*. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln.

Harlow, W.M., E.S. Harrar, J.W. Hardin, & F.M. White. 1996. *Textbook of
dendrology*. 8^th^ edition. McGraw-Hill Inc., New York.

Kindscher, K. 1992. *Medicinal wild plants of the prairie*. University
Press of Kansas, Lawrence.

Meyer, M.H. & M.E. Zins. 1998.
(<http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG1114.html>)
University of Minnesota Extension Service, St. Paul.

Moerman, D.E. 1998. *Native American ethnobotany*. Timber Press,
Portland.

Moerman, D.E. 1999. *Native American ethnobotany database: Foods, drugs,
dyes and fibers of native North American peoples*.
(<http://www.umd.umich.edu/cgi-bin/herb>).The University of Michigan,
Dearborn.

Redfearn, P.L. Jr. 2001. *Rhus glabra*.
([http://biology.smsu.edu/Herbarium/Plants%20of%20the%20Interior%20Highlands/Flowers/Rhus%20glabra.jpg](http://biology.smsu.edu/Herbarium/Plants of the Interior Highlands/Flowers/Rhus glabra.jpg)).
Ozarks Regional Herbarium, Department of Biology, Southwest Missouri
State University, Springfield.

Rydberg, P.A. 1932. *Flora of the prairies and plains of central North
America*. The Science Press Printing Company, Lancaster.

USDA Forest Service. 2001. *Fire effects information
system*.(<http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrubs/rhugla/index.html>).
Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Boise.

##### Prepared By: 

##### *Matthew D. Hurteau*

##### Formerly USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center

##### c/o Environmental Horticulture Department

##### University of California, Davis, California

##### 

##### Species Coordinator: 

##### *M. Kat Anderson* 

##### USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center 

##### c/o Plant Sciences Department

##### University of California, Davis, California

##### 

##### Edited: 30May2002 jsp, 20Dec2004 rln; 060815 jsp

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your
local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS
Web site\<[http://plants.usda.gov](http://plants.usda.gov/)\> or the
Plant Materials Program Web site
\<[http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov](http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov/)\>

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