Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina 'Dissecta') is the largest North American sumac, a sprawling shrub native to woodland edges and stream margins from Quebec to Georgia. Named for the distinctive reddish-brown velvet hairs coating its young branches, this deciduous shrub grows 10 to 25 feet tall and spreads even wider, reaching up to 300 inches across in ideal conditions. Hardy from zones 3 through 8, it thrives in full sun to partial shade and tolerates challenging sites where few other plants succeed, from dry rocky soils to urban conditions. The 'Dissecta' cultivar shares the species' showy summer blooms in June and July and striking ornamental fruit, along with a proven ability to stabilize slopes and prevent erosion.
Partial Sun
Moderate
3-8
300in H x 300in W
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High
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This sumac earns its common name from the soft, fuzzy texture of its branches, which feel remarkably like a stag's velvet antlers. The 'Dissecta' cultivar is an aggressive spreader that forms thickets through root suckering, making it exceptionally useful for naturalizing difficult sites and controlling erosion on shallow, rocky soils. Its dramatic seasonal presence and tolerance for drought, poor drainage, and even black walnut toxicity give it appeal for gardeners seeking resilient, low-maintenance framework plants that attract birds and wildlife.
Staghorn Sumac serves primarily as a landscape plant for naturalizing difficult sites, particularly slopes and eroded areas where its root suckering habit builds stabilizing thickets. Its showy flowers and ornamental fruit attract birds and wildlife, making it valuable in native plant gardens and wildlife corridors. The plant tolerates urban conditions and challenging soils where conventional shrubs fail, positioning it as a practical choice for low-maintenance, ecologically functional landscapes.
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Staghorn Sumac is an open, spreading shrub that benefits from selective pruning to manage its vigorous suckering habit and maintain its ornamental shape. Since the 'Dissecta' cultivar tends toward aggressive spread, regular removal of unwanted suckers and selective thinning of crowded branches will help contain it and promote air circulation, reducing fungal disease pressure.
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“Staghorn Sumac belongs to an ancient plant family, Anacardiaceae, distributed across temperate regions worldwide. This North American native has been part of the landscape for millennia, thriving along roadsides, railroad embankments, and swamp margins from Quebec and Ontario west to Minnesota, then southward to Georgia, Indiana, and Iowa. The common name references the velvety coat of reddish-brown hairs on young branches, a feature that has made this species easily recognizable to generations of naturalists and gardeners. The 'Dissecta' cultivar represents a selected form, propagated for its growth characteristics and suitability to landscape use.”