Sumac Seeds: A Buyer's and Grower's Guide

Staghorn, Smooth, Winged, and Fragrant Sumac Seed Compared

Four native sumacs make up most of the seed people shop for. Their seeds look much alike, but the plants are quite different, so pick the plant first and then buy its seed. For a fuller look at the plants themselves, see our guide to the types of sumac.

The short version: every one of these sumacs has a seed coat that water cannot get through until something softens or cracks it. In the wild that job falls to fire and weather. In the kitchen it is a hot-water soak. Fragrant sumac also has an embryo that will not wake up without a cold spell, so it truly needs both steps. For winged, staghorn, and smooth sumac the hard coat is the main lock, and the Forest Service seed manual lists them among seeds that do not require a cold period. Even so, the standard advice is to follow scarification with about two months of cold, moist chilling, and that is what we recommend for our seed.^[1][2]

We only sell winged sumac. If you need staghorn for a cold northern site, or fragrant sumac as a low shrub for a bank or foundation planting, buy seed of that species from a seller who names it in Latin and tells you where it was collected.

How Long Do Sumac Seeds Stay Viable?

A long time, though not forever. Sumac seed is the kind that stores well dry. The Woody Plant Seed Manual records smooth sumac seed that still germinated at over 60% after 10 years at room temperature, and winged sumac seed that survived five years buried in soil in Louisiana.^[1] Some seeds lose their life over the years, so for the best results plant within a few years.

To store seed, keep it in a sealed envelope or jar in a cool, dark, dry place. A sealed jar in the refrigerator is ideal: the manual recommends sealed glass containers at about 37°F (3°C) for winged and smooth sumac seed.^[1] The one thing to avoid is damp storage, because moisture is part of what tells a seed to start growing. This is also why a big pack is not a use-it-or-lose-it buy: plant part of it this year and save the rest for next season or the one after.

Sumac Seeds vs. Seedlings and Potted Plants

You can buy sumac three ways: as seed, as bare-root seedlings, or as a potted shrub from a nursery. Each has its place.

• Cost per plant. A pack of seed costs about the same as one or two potted nursery shrubs, and it can give you dozens to hundreds of seedlings. If you need more than a handful of plants, seed wins by a wide margin.
• Time. A potted plant gives you a head start of a year or more. From seed, plan on two to three months of preparation before sowing, and on winged sumac usually bearing its first fruit at 3 to 4 years old.^[4]
• Both sexes. Winged sumac plants are either male or female, and only females bear berries. Many sumacs sold commercially are grown from root cuttings rather than seed.^[1] Cuttings taken from one parent are copies of it, so they are all the same sex. A batch of seedlings is a natural mix of males and females, which is what a berry crop needs.
• Effort. A potted shrub goes straight in the ground. Seed asks for a hot-water soak, some refrigerator space, and a little patience.

Our honest take: for one specimen shrub by the patio, a potted plant is fine. For a hedge, a wildlife thicket, a slope, or a long field edge, seed is the practical choice.

How Many Sumac Seeds Should I Buy?

Plan on about 30 to 40% of our winged sumac seeds sprouting when they are scarified and cold-stratified as our planting guide describes. That range is normal for native woody seed. The Woody Plant Seed Manual reports germination of individual smooth sumac seedlots anywhere from 25 to 75%.^[1] Count on sprouts, not finished shrubs: some seedlings will be lost to damping off, transplanting, drought, or rabbits.

Sprout counts assume about 30 to 40% germination with proper scarification and cold stratification. They are estimates, not a guarantee of finished shrubs. Shipping is free on every pack.

A simple rule: decide how many shrubs you want, multiply by three or four, and pick the pack that covers it. If you plan to sow outdoors in fall instead of using the refrigerator, sow more generously, because outdoor germination is less predictable. Leftover seed keeps for years. For bigger plantings, see our notes on game habitat and food plots and on shrubs for erosion control.

Choose a Seed Pack

Growing Sumac From Seed: The Short Version

Here is the whole process in five steps. Our planting guide walks through each one with timing, and our page on how to scarify and cold-stratify seeds explains why each step works.

• Scarify. Pour water that has just come off a full boil over the seeds and let them soak for 12 to 24 hours as it cools. Do not boil the seeds themselves.
• Cold-stratify. Drain, mix the seeds with a little slightly damp sand, peat, or sphagnum moss, seal them in a bag or jar, and refrigerate at 35 to 40°F for 30 to 90 days. Start 8 to 12 weeks before you want to plant.
• Sow promptly. Sow about 1/2 inch deep (the Wildflower Center gives 1/3 to 3/4 inch) in pots or in a sunny, well-drained spot, within a week or two of taking the seeds out of the cold so they do not dry back.^[1][5]
• Keep bright, at spring temperatures. In trials, winged sumac sprouted best with days around 68°F and cooler nights around 50°F, so a bright spot at spring temperatures suits it.^[1] Sprouts often show within 2 to 6 weeks; some seeds wait longer, even until the next year, which is normal.
• Or let winter do it. Scarify, then sow outdoors in late fall or early winter and let natural cold and moisture handle the chilling. Expect slower, more uneven sprouting.

What to Look for When Buying Sumac Seeds

Sumac seed is simple stuff, but listings vary a lot. Before you buy, check for these:

• The species, with its Latin name. "Sumac seed" alone is not enough. Look for Rhus copallinum, Rhus typhina, Rhus glabra, or Rhus aromatica, and make sure it is the plant you want.
• Planting seed, not spice or decor. Ground sumac sold for cooking will not grow, and the spice on most grocery shelves comes from Rhus coriaria, a Mediterranean species. Dried whole clusters sold for crafts are not packed or stored as planting seed. Look for loose seed sold by count.
• Where and how it was harvested. A good seller tells you the seed came from native stands and roughly where. Seed from a region with a climate like yours is a sensible choice.
• Filled seed. Hybrid staghorn and smooth sumac clumps can produce full-looking heads of mostly empty seed.^[1] You can check a few yourself: crush a handful of seeds with pliers. A good seed has solid meat inside. An empty one is hollow.
• Honest germination numbers. A seller should tell you the seed needs scarification and cold stratification and should give you a realistic sprouting rate. Ours is about 30 to 40%. Be wary of big promises with no mention of seed prep.
• Instructions. Every one of our orders ships with a free printed 4-page planting guide.

One more thing: no sumac sold as seed for planting should be confused with poison sumac, which belongs to a different genus and has white berries. If you are unsure what grows near you, see winged sumac vs. poison sumac.

Are Sumac Seeds Edible?

The fruit is the useful part, not the seed. The sour, lemony flavor of the edible sumacs sits in the fuzzy red coating on the outside of each fruit. People soak the clusters in cold water for sumac-ade and strain out the fine hairs.^[3] For spice, the dried fruit is rubbed or ground and then sifted, so the hard seeds are left behind in the sieve. The seed itself is small, hard, and woody, and it is not the part anyone is after.

Two cautions. First, only the red-fruited sumacs are used this way. Poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) has white or cream berries in loose, hanging clusters and grows in wet ground. Second, our seed packs are sold for planting, not as food. If you want sumac to eat, grow your own or harvest clean clusters from plants you have identified with confidence. Our guide to edible sumac and its culinary uses and our sumac lemonade recipe show how.

Sumac Seed Questions

More questions about growing and germination are answered in our FAQ. If you are planting for birds and bees, our pages on wildlife benefits and native plants for birds and pollinators are good next reads.