Rhus copallinum L.

Winged Sumac; Shining Sumac

Shrub

Perennial

Vascular

Winged Sumac is a native colonial shrub or small tree in the Sumac family (Anacardiaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Winged Sumac occurs in mesic to dry woodlands, along fence rows and power lines, and on disturbed sites. It is rhizomatous and often forms thickets. The stems are up to 18 feet in height. Young stems are often not branched, with older stems branched above the middle. The stems are short pubescent. Older stems and trunks have smooth, light gray bark. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, and odd-pinnately compound with 9-23 leaflets. The Leaflets are sessile, elliptic to lanceolate in outline, entire to serrate, and glabrous above and pubescent below. Leaves are lustrous and dark green above and pale green below. The rachis is winged. Leaves turn shades of red or orange before falling in the autumn. Flowers are produced in dense terminal panicles. Individual flowers are small and radially symmetrical. Each flower has 5 green sepals and 5 greenish-white petals. Winged Sumac is sometimes dioecious. Male plants will have flowers lacking a pistil, and functionally pistillate flowers will have flowers with rudimentary stamens. The fruit is a drupe with short stalked or sessile red glands and longer hairs. Winged Sumac is a larval food plant for the Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops) and Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon) Butterflies. The flowers attract many kinds of insects, especially beetles, wasps, flies, and bees. The fruit of winged Sumac are consumed by many bird species. Winged Sumac is easily grown in most soils. It prefers full to partial sun. Winged Sumac can spread aggressively from root sprouts, and is best used in natural settings such as along a woodland border or on rocky or steep slopes that are difficult to maintain.--A. Diamond

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Native

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