Rhus (copallinum)

Quicksand USDA NRCS - Quicksand Plant Materials Center 175 Robinson Road Quicksand, Kentucky 41363 http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov

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Family Scientific Name:	Anacardiaceae
Family Common Name:	Sumac
Scientific Name:	Rhus copallinum
Common Name:	Winged Sumac
General Distribution:	Dry woods and clearings. Found from New York, south to Florida, west to Texas, north to Kansas and Wisconsin. It is found at various locations throughout the Great Smoky Mountains National Park along with other sumac.
Propagation Goal:	seeds
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Propagules (seeds, cuttings, poles, etc.)
Time To Grow:	0
Propagule Collection:	Collected in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Propagule Processing:	EASE OF COLLECTION: Collection is not difficult. Seed can be hand stripped from the plants from September to November or entire seedhead can be clipped. TYPE OF MATERIAL COLLECTED FOR PROPAGATION: Seed. METHOD OF CLEANING: Seedheads were broken apart using a hammermill. Seed was cleaned using a rubber roll huller to remove outer seed covering. As seed covering is oily, chaff was not easily separated using clipper fanning mill. Seed and seedcoat chaff were separated by floating off chaff and nonviable seed in water. Seed that sank in water was saved, air dried, and used for planting. NUMBER OF SEEDS PER POUND: Approximately 56,750 (ibid.) PERCENT GERMlNATION: Data not available at date of publication.
Pre-Planting Treatments:	PRETREATMENT USED: Mechanical scarification for 15 seconds using a Forsberg seed scarifier, hot-water soak prior to greenhouse planting.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	PROPAGATION METHOD: 1) Direct seeding to raised bed; 2) greenhouse seedlings transplanted to raised bed.
Active Growth Phase:	METHOD OF GROWING: Seed was scarified and planted to a 1:1:1 peat, perlite, vermiculite potting mix in the greenhouse in January 1992 and planted to 4 inches apart in raised woody bed on May 14, 1992. Attempts to plant seed directly to a raised bed on April 4-23, 1992 were unsuccessful. No seed treatment was made on this seed prior to planting; weeds also severe in the bed. Seed was planted to a raised fumigated (methyl bromide) bed November 11-19, 1992; no seed treatment made on this seed. As seed undergoes cold stratification and seedcoat breakdown in the soil during the winter months, we anticipate greater success in this seeding. Seed sown in the spring would probably be more successful if mechanically scarified prior to planting.
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	SEED MATURITY DATE: September - October (Young & Young 1992, 299). STORAGE REQUIREMENTS: Unknown. Seed was stored in cold storage (relative humidity less than 50%, temperature less than 50§F). ESTIMATED PROPAGULE STORAGE POTENTIAL: Data unavailable at date of publication.
References:	Young, James A., and Cheryl G. Young. 1992. Seeds of Woody Plants in North America. Portland, Oregon: Dioscorides Press.

Citation:

2001. Propagation protocol for production of Propagules (seeds, cuttings, poles, etc.) Rhus copallinum seeds USDA NRCS - Quicksand Plant Materials Center Quicksand, Kentucky. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/04/20). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.