| Neutral | htop | On Jul 28, 2005, htop from San Antonio, TX (Zone 8b) wrote: It is also known as desert sumac and scrub sumac. I have not grown this plant so am giving it a neutral rating.
This deciduous, perennial, heavily branched, densely foliaged shrub stands three to ten feet tall and is sometimes trained as a small scrubby tree. It has a moderate growth rate. It is native to Arizona, New Mexico, southwestern Oklahoma, Texas and northern Mexico. In Texas, it inhabits the western three quarters of the state including the South Texas Plains and the Edwards Plateau being found in dry uplands, river-banks, gravelly mesas, canyons and rocky hillsides. The plant is adaptable to various soil types that has good drainage.
Young stiff, slender, light gray, puberulent (hairy) and scruffy twigs are spinescent at the tips with age. They have numerous side twigs. The smooth light gray bark may become scaly on large specimens. The entire leaf (1 to 2 inches long) is alternate and pinnately compound having 5 to 9 elliptical leaflets (1/2 inch long or less) per leaf. New leaves are bright green and then turn darker with age. They are a bit hairy above and paler on the undersides.
The small greenish-white, yellow-white to white, inconspicuous blooms are in 2 to 3 inch wide clusters. They appear before the leaves and appear on the ends of the branches and from the joint of a leaf and the stem. The flowers are dioecious; that is, individual blooms are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant. Thus, both male and female plants must be grown if seed is to be produced. From May to July, the round, 1/4 inch, pea-sized, green ripening to orange-red to reddish brown, tangy lemon flavored fruits are produced. They are covered with red, short, sticky hairs and mature in late summer, but persist through the winter. The seed should be sown in fall or be soaked 8 hours in water and cold stratified 3 months before spring planting.
Littleleaf Sumac is used as a foundation plant, landscape plant, wildscape plant, small patio tree or hedge and needs deep infrequent irrigation (once a week) during the hottest part of year. It needs little maintenance and can be pruned to shape it. It is valuable to wildlife. The leaves are browsed by white-tailed deer and small mammals. Cattle also browse the leaves. Quail, turkey and other birds eat the fruit. Several bird species eat the seeds. Its canopy is used for cover by small wildlife.
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