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Chinese Sumac

Rhus chinensis (RHOOS chi-NEN-sis)

Family: Anacardiaceae Non-native Understory (15-40 ft)

Spreads by suckers; best used near natural area Site: range of soil types including hot dry sites Texture: Medium to coarse Form: Loose; spreading shrub to flat topped tree; often multistemmed Growth Rate: Moderate to rapid It is a host plant for the larvae of the Luna moth ( Actias luna ) .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 30 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Tree
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Mature size
Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 24 ft. 0 in. | Width: 15 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in.
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Multi-stemmed; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Orange
Leaf size
> 6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
8 to 15 in. alternate, compound leaves with 7 to 13 leaflets; bright green in summer; yellow, orange, red fall color
Fall color
Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Cream/Tan; White
Flower size
> 6 inches
Flower detail
6 to 10 in. panicles of creamy white flowers in late summer; orange red fruit matures in fall
Bloom time
Summer
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Himalaya to Japan
Wildlife value
Larval host plant for the Luna moth. Provide cover for birds.
Attracts
Moths; Songbirds
Host plant for
Luna moth
Landscape Use
Landscape theme
Nighttime Garden; Pollinator Garden
Garden tags
#deciduous #nighttime garden #deciduous tree #moth caterpillar host #larval host plant #wildlife friendly #winter cover

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.