Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
African Sumac
African Sumac is a tough evergreen tree that gives dense shade all year from a canopy of narrow, dark green leaves. Its outer branches weep gracefully, and its dark bark adds character with age. It grows about 20 to 30 feet tall and as wide or wider. It handles desert heat, alkaline soil and little water once rooted.
Best for: year-round shade in dry yards, a large informal screen, and anyone who wants a tough evergreen tree that handles heat and alkaline soil.
It keeps its leaves through winter and casts dense shade all year. It grows about 20 to 30 feet tall and as wide or wider, so plant it where it has that room.
Its graceful, weeping outer limbs make it a good background tree or a large, informal screen. It can also help hold the soil on a slope.
It handles desert heat and alkaline soil. Once it is rooted, it only needs a deep soak now and then in summer, and it grows about as big as the water you give it.
Male trees shed heavy pollen in winter, and some people are allergic to it. Female trees drop seed that sprouts easily wherever there is water, and it is listed as invasive in central Arizona. It also drops leaves and sends up shoots from the base.
- Screen row15 ft apart
For the first two weeks, water a new tree every 1 to 2 days in summer, or every 3 to 4 days in cooler months. Ease to about weekly in summer by the second month, and keep up deep soaks for its first 3 years. After that, a deep soak every 2 to 3 weeks in summer and little water in winter is enough.
Train it upright while young and raise the canopy slowly. Thin no more than about a fifth of the canopy at a time, since heavy thinning sunburns the bark.
Cut off shoots from the base as they appear. Pull seedlings while they are small, especially near water.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Does African sumac cause allergies?
Yes, it can. Male trees release large amounts of wind-blown pollen in winter, and some people are allergic to it. If you have winter allergies, choose another shade tree or plant it away from windows and patios.
Is African sumac invasive in Arizona?
Yes. It has a moderate to high invasive potential in urban areas and along washes and rivers in central Arizona. Seed sprouts easily wherever there is water, so pull seedlings early and avoid planting it near washes.
How big does African sumac get?
It grows about 20 to 30 feet tall and as wide or wider. How big it gets depends on how much water it receives.
How much water does it need?
Once it is rooted, give it a deep soak now and then in summer and little water in winter. Extra water makes it grow larger, so water for the size you want.
Why are shoots coming up around the base?
Stress makes it send up shoots from the base, especially when the bark gets sunburned. Cut the shoots off, and avoid heavy thinning that opens the bark to the sun.
How should I prune it?
Train it upright while it is young and raise the canopy slowly. Thin no more than about a fifth of the canopy at a time, or the bark can sunburn.
Is it messy?
It drops leaves through the year, and female trees also drop small fruit. Plant it away from the pool.
How cold hardy is it?
It is rated to about 15°F, and mature trees have taken 15°F with only minor damage.
Does it flower?
Yes, but the small greenish flowers are not showy. They open in winter, and bees visit them for early pollen.
African Sumac for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
African Sumac is a tough evergreen shade tree with narrow leaves and graceful, weeping outer branches. Below you will find its size, water and pruning needs, and what to know about its pollen and seedlings before you plant one.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Is African sumac a good shade tree for Phoenix?
It is a tough evergreen shade tree for dry yards that handles heat and alkaline soil. Its winter pollen and spreading seed are worth knowing about before you plant one.
Does African sumac cause allergies?
Yes, male trees shed heavy pollen in winter, and some people are allergic to it. Choose another tree if winter allergies are a concern in your home.
Is African sumac invasive?
It spreads by seed wherever there is water, and it is listed as invasive in central Arizona. Pull seedlings while they are small, and avoid planting it near washes.
How big does African sumac get?
It grows about 20 to 30 feet tall and as wide or wider. It gets larger the more water it gets.
How often do you water African sumac?
Once it is rooted, give it a deep soak about every 2 to 3 weeks in summer and little water in winter.
How do you prune African sumac?
Train it upright while it is young and raise the canopy slowly. Thin it lightly, no more than about a fifth at a time, so the bark does not sunburn.
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