Description:

A tough, western native groundcover with glossy, bright green foliage that turns hues of orange, gold and reddish amber in the fall. Well suited as a foreground shrub and as an attractive accent to cascade over boulders, retaining walls or slopes.

Ornamental Features

Autumn Amber Sumac is primarily valued in the garden for its broadly spreading habit of growth. It has attractive forest green foliage with light green veins. The large glossy lobed compound leaves are highly ornamental and turn outstanding shades of yellow, gold and orange in the fall. The brick red stems can be quite attractive.

Landscape Attributes

Autumn Amber Sumac is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a ground-hugging habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting bees to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Autumn Amber Sumac is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens

Planting & Growing

Autumn Amber Sumac will grow to be about 14 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 8 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selection of a species native to parts of our region.