GrowNativePlants Plant Directory

Fragrant Sumac

Rhus aromatica

Hosts 4 caterpillarsPollinator plant

Fragrant Sumac

(c) Catherine C. Galley, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Catherine C. Galley

Growing it

When
JFMAMJJASONDFlowers April to May; fruits August to OctoberFlowers April to May; fruits August to October
Typeshrub
SunFull sun, partial shade
WaterLow
SoilpH 5.5–7.5
Hardinesszone 3–9
Mature height1.8 m
Mature spread2.25 m
Spacing1.5 m
Years to maturity5
BloomApr–May
In bloomApril May
FruitAug–Oct
Native toAB, SK

leaves in threes about 6 cm long; a spreading, branching crown

Where it has been recorded

EdmontonCalgaryFort McMurrayGrande PrairieLethbridgeSaskatoonReginaPrince AlbertABSKBCMBrecords per square12-45-1920-99100+
45 squares of about 28 km, each holding at least one record. A square is not a claim that the plant grows throughout it, and an unshaded square is unrecorded rather than empty. Darker squares hold more records, which follows roads and towns as much as it follows the plant. 18 herbarium specimens and 140 field observations this project may redraw. A filled dot is a pressed sheet somebody can re-examine; a hollow ring is a photograph identified by community agreement. Where the dots are dense is where people have looked, not where the plant is commonest, and empty ground is unsurveyed rather than unoccupied. How this map is made.

Which ecoregions the records fall in

Aspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceAspen Parkland (central AB / SK), low confidenceCypress Upland (south AB / SK), low confidenceCypress Upland (south AB / SK), low confidenceCypress Upland (south AB / SK), low confidenceCypress Upland (south AB / SK), low confidenceCypress Upland (south AB / SK), low confidenceCypress Upland (south AB / SK), low confidenceCypress Upland (south AB / SK), low confidenceCypress Upland (south AB / SK), low confidenceCypress Upland (south AB / SK), low confidenceCypress Upland (south AB / SK), low confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceFescue Grassland (south AB), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceMoist Mixed Grassland (south AB / SK), high confidenceEdmontonCalgaryFort McMurrayGrande PrairieLethbridgeSaskatoonReginaPrince AlbertABSKBCMBAspen ParklandCypress UplandFescue GrasslandMixed GrasslandMoist Mixed Grassland

These are counts of records collected somewhere in the region, which is the resolution of the evidence: the map above shows where inside it. A region with 3 records is not the same claim as one with three hundred, so the count travels with the region. A region missing from this list means nobody has recorded it there, which is not the same as the plant being absent. Records within 900 m of a border count for neither side, because the border is not drawn finely enough to say which one they are on. Source: GBIF occurrence search + PRESERVED_SPECIMEN pass, retrieved 2026-08-24. Boundaries digitised from the National Ecological Framework for Canada v2.2 (Ecological Stratification Working Group 1995), simplified to about 900 m for display: an outline is accurate to roughly a kilometre, not to the metre. How these counts are made.

See every observation, live and current, on GBIF or iNaturalist.

Documented animals

37 documented relationships.

nectar for

caterpillar host for

pollen for

Also worth knowing

Safety

Toxicity not assessed, absence of a warning is not a guarantee of safety

Edible parts

Fruits (sour, used for drinks)

Buying it

About $25–$50 per plant (estimate), usually from a native-plant nursery. Estimate (shrub default); AB retail as of 2026