Scientific Name: Rhus ovata
Common Name: Sugar Sumac
Family: Anacardiaceae, Sumac Family
Duration: Perennial
Size: Up to 15 feet more or less.
Growth Form: Large shrub or small tree; evergreen, heavily leaved, stout branches, mostly pubescent more so than glabrous; old bark shaggy.
Leaves: Bright green; evergreen, shiny, leathery, shape variable, wide-ovate to elliptic; entire; simple; petiolate; shape variable, heart shaped or ovate; folding at midrib.
Flower Color: Cream, white or pinkish, deep red; inflorescence dense panicles; sepals magenta; petals cream to pinkish; fruit sticky red berries.
Flowering Season: March to April or later.
Comments: Sugar Sumac is an attractive plant often used as an ornamental and desert landscape specimen in central and southern Arizona and southern California. The plant has excellent wildlife value providing food and habitat for birds, butterflies and other insects.
