Where can you buy Sumac?

how to grow sumac from cutting

L & O

 

I've found that if I cut a sumac down, many new sumac will grow from the extensive root system. I once cut down a 6 inch diameter sumac next to my front lawn and about 100 new little sumac popped up in my lawn.

 

I've always thought about planting some sumac on my property but just never got around to it. Not sure if it provides any forage benefit for the deer but the bucks sure love to rub it - everywhere I've ever seen it.

After viewing one of the videos from the link that L & O posted, I don't think I would want it anywhere near my lawn or garden - it looks highly invasive.

 

One of my go to spots when i hunted state land years back was a 5 acre field of tall grass with staghorn sumac through out it .Deer were impossible to get a shot at while in there .

 

Any new shoots of sumac at my place get browsed right down if accessible. The birds will eat the berries as will the deer in the winter.

Never seen a fair sized patch of it that didn't have heavy deer sign.

Oh, the rabbits will girdle them also in the winter.

 

There used to be quite a bit of sumac on the farm where I grew up in central Menominee but it gradually melted away. Seems to have happened all over that area. Could be soil, could be climate, could be a combination or maybe something else. The one obvious thing was that as the deer population went up the sumac went down. Planting sumac might be an exercise in futility with the deer herd in your area. FM

 

If you already have some just propagate the roots from it. I usually break some of the smaller trees down in winter to promote new growth each year.

 

I believe I got mine from Coldstream

 

I have noticed that on my property .Areas that once had it no longer do but new areas are getting it established .Hard to figure why .

 

How to Grow Sumac From Seed


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The sumac (Rhus spp.) gets around. Fast-growing, pest- and disease-free and drought tolerant, it is the only shrub found in all 48 contiguous states. Sumac are scrappy North American natives, growing in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 though 9. They spread by root suckers in almost any well-draining soil and can stabilize problem embankments. Their leaves turn red in the fall, matching their showy fruiting clusters. Some varieties like smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) grow to 20 feet tall, while others like fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica) stay low and rambling. All of the sumac species are tough and hardy.




1
Harvest seeds from sumac fruiting clusters in autumn when they are dark brown and dry.



2
Boil water in a pot, then remove the pot from the stove and toss in the seeds. Leave them in the cooling water for 24 hours to remove germination inhibitors.



3
Drain and dry seeds on a paper towel. Place them in the refrigerator for 30 days at a temperature of about 41 degrees Fahrenheit.




4
Plant sumac seeds directly outside in autumn. Select a spot in sun or partial sun with well-draining soil. Plant each seed at a depth of 1/3 to 3/4 inches, about 8 inches apart. Water well after planting. Sumacs will grow in any soil, including dry wastelands.



5
Water your sumacs regularly the first two seasons. Starting with the third season, limit irrigation to dry, hot periods. No fertilizer is necessary for these vigorous, suckering shrubs. Within several seasons, each parent plant will form a thick colony of sumacs around it.



6
Rejuvenate your sumac colony every few years. Cut the colony to the ground in the winter. This keeps the sumacs from getting leggy and prevents them from taking over your garden.



Things You Will Need

• Sumac seeds
• Cooking pot
• Paper towel

Tips

• Allow sumac to grow in drifts in your landscape, like it does in the wild. It lives longer in colonies and produces larger leaves.
• Sumac shrubs attract honey bees to your yard. The small sumac flowers produce generous amounts of nectar and pollen.

Warning

• Every family has at least one individual that's less than popular, and the 200-strong sumac family (Rhus spp.) includes poison ivy (Rhus toxicodendron) and several other toxic species. Know what sumac seeds you are planting.

 

Browse candy! I have great success transplanting it, but they have to be 7-8'+ otherwise deer destroy them. Plan to cage any until they're that size.

 

Like others have noted, it's a highly browsed species in my area.

I didn't even realize that we had any on the property until I built a large exclusion cage of sorts off the back of the barn. Now there's a nice stand right along the back. If I look hard enough in the field I find small sprouts but it seems to be eaten pretty quickly.

 

Sumac seeds for a reasonable price.
http://www.treeseeds.com/sumac-tree-seeds.html

Propagation from root cuttings seems to be the way to go for fast growth. I have plans to try and establish some sumac this spring following the instructions in the link L&O posted. I don't have any sumac on my property to harvest root cuttings from but the stuff is everywhere if you look for it. Along the side of roads, ditches, parks, etc.

 

https://michigan-sportsman.com/forum/threads/staghorn-sumac-rhizomes.567162/#post-5921305