Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromaticaFragrant Sumac is a shrub native to the Texas Hill Country that grows 6–9 ft tall and 4–6 ft wide. It wants full sun or part shade and low water, and handles caliche and clay soil. Blooms yellow in Apr–Jun. Deer rarely browse it. Good for birds and butterflies.
Will it grow in your yard?
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From our guide
Village of the HillsLow spreading shrub with aromatic three-part leaves, yellow spring flowers and red fruit, with strong fall color.
Why it works here
Excellent bank stabilizer in sun or part shade, drought-proof, and the fall color is real.
Watch out
Suckers to form a colony. Crushed foliage smells strongly — some people dislike it.
The facts
8 sources- Type
- Shrub
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade (3+ hrs)
- Water
- Low
- Height
- 6–9 ft
- Spread
- 4–6 ft
- Bloom
- Apr–Jun · yellow
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Soil
- Takes caliche and clay · recorded on caliche, clay, dry, limestone, loam, rocky
- Deer
- High — deer rarely browse it. Aromatic resinous foliage
- Wildlife
- Supports birds and butterflies
Where it grows
Recorded in these EPA Level IV ecoregions in the Austin and Hill Country launch area:
984 occurrence records in Central Texas (GBIF).
Can you buy it?
In the Village of the Hills guide, but not on the grower stock lists we read yet. Ask a native-plant nursery.
also grows from seed It starts readily from seed, so a packet from a native-seed supplier, or seed collected with permission, is often the easiest way to get a plant no nursery pots.