Fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low'
Rhus aromatica 'Gro-Low' · Anacardiaceae
A low, wide-spreading native shrub with glossy, three-part, aromatic leaves that turn orange, red and purple in autumn. The stems root where they touch the ground.
- Size
- 24 in tall, 6½ ft wide
- Zones
- 3 to 9
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Flowers
- Mid April to early May
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Carpet
A bed built around fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low'
The planner designed this bed around fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low' when this page was made: a 16 × 8 ft (4.9 × 2.4 m) English border in zone 6, part sun. It chose the other plants from the 341 that suit those conditions and its dry soil, and says below why fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low' × 1, yellow
- 2 Coral bells 'Firefly' × 13, red
- 3 Leadwort × 23, blue
- 4 Brown-eyed Susan × 8, yellow
- 5 Wild bergamot × 4, lavender
- 6 Spurge 'Blackbird' × 3, purple leaves
- 7 Asiatic lily × 3, orange
- 8 Meadow saffron × 5, pink
- 9 Easter lily × 4, white
Why this plant
- The bed's only structure. Shrubs and grasses keep their shape when the perennials die down, and it is the only one here.
Why here
- In the middle. At 24 in it is the step between leadwort (10 in) in front and wild bergamot (3½ ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- One plant, alone. A shrub is seen as an object, and needs clear ground around it.
Why now
- In flower for three weeks. From mid April to early May.
- Opens the season. In all that time nothing else on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 10 of the 10 groups (100%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. It is planted in layers: about 10 in at the front, 2½ ft in the middle and 4 ft at the back. There is more leadwort than anything else, 23 plants in all.
The planner's own design check: 12 Excellent, 4 Good, 1 Satisfactory.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low' goes in a border
At 24 in it belongs in the middle of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium short (18 to 24 in).
Its job: carpet. A groundcover planted in threes and fives to cover the soil: along the front, and just behind it.
One of the best groundcover shrubs for difficult banks: it tolerates drought, poor soil and salt, and it colours brilliantly. It is not poison ivy, which it faintly resembles.
- Covering dry banks and slopes
- Groundcover in sun or part shade
- Autumn colour
What to plant with fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Little bluestem: its blue-green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; happy in the same dry soil.
- Butterfly weed: carries the spot on into early August; happy in the same dry soil.
- Juniper 'Sea Green': its green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; tall enough (5 ft) to stand behind it; happy in the same dry soil.
Questions about fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low'
Does fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low' need sun or shade?
Fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).
It wants dry, sharply drained soil, on the lean side, with no feeding, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.
What zones does fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low' grow in?
USDA zones 3 to 9. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low' flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers mid April to early May. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.
| Zone 3 | Early May to mid May |
|---|---|
| Zone 4 | Late April to early May |
| Zone 5 | Mid April to early May |
| Zone 6 | Mid April to late April |
| Zone 7 | Early April to mid April |
| Zone 8 | Late March to mid April |
| Zone 9 | Late March to early April |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low' be planted?
5 ft (150 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 6½ ft (200 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 24 in (60 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low' plants do I need?
Usually one. At 5 ft (150 cm) across, it is a plant you place, not one you mass. For a hedge or screen, set them 5 ft apart: three plants for a 10 ft run.
In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.
Is fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low' poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
Do deer eat fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low'?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
Will fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low' spread?
It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Spreads by suckers into a wider clump. Remove the outer shoots to contain it.
What flowers after fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low'?
Fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low' is over by early May. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Lady's mantle: from late May to early July, 18 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
- Catmint 'Walker's Low': from mid May to mid September, 24 in tall.
- Columbine: from early May to mid June, 24 in tall.
What does fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low' look like in winter?
Fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low' drops its leaves and stands as bare branches. That is when to see its shape, and to prune it if it needs pruning.
Is fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low' good for bees and butterflies?
Fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low' is visited by bees, butterflies, moths and songbirds.
It is native to the United States and Canada (this is a named variety of the native plant).
More Rhus
- Fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica
- Staghorn sumac 'Tiger Eyes' Rhus typhina 'Tiger Eyes'
- Winged sumac Rhus copallinum
In these guides
- Plants for dry shade
- Plants that grow near black walnut
- Plants for slopes and banks
- Deer-resistant plants for shade
- Rabbit-resistant plants
- Pet-safe plants for a sunny border
- Pet-safe plants for shade
- Native plants for shade
- Garden plants native to Canada
- Plants for butterflies
- Plants for bees
- Plants that feed garden birds
- Groundcover plants
- Shrubs under 4 feet for small gardens
- Plants with purple and burgundy leaves
Zone guides: Zone 3 · Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
Every fact on record
- Type
- Shrub (groundcover)
- Size
- 24 in (60 cm) tall, 6½ ft (200 cm) wide
- Plant
- 5 ft (150 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium short (18 to 24 in)
- Place in the bed
- Middle
- Flowers
- Mid April to early May; dense clusters; yellow
- Leaves
- Medium texture, deciduous; dark green, red
- Shape
- Mat-forming, spreading
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 3 to 9
- Light
- Full sun, part sun, part shade
- Soil
- Lean, dry and sharply drained
- Water
- Low
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Anacardiaceae
- Comes from
- North America--Eastern Canada to Mexico
- Attracts
- Bees, butterflies, moths, songbirds
- Stands up to
- Deer, rabbits, drought, black walnut, erosion
Checked against NC State Extension. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.