# Chinese Sumac (*rhus chinensis*)

The Chinese Sumac (Rhus chinensis), also known as the Nutgall Tree, is a deciduous shrub or small tree native to East and South Asia. Highly valued for its ecological and ethnobotanical importance, this resilient plant is famous for hosting specialized aphids that trigger the formation of large, tannin-rich galls on its leaves. These galls have been harvested for thousands of years for use in traditional medicine, dyes, and tanning. In addition to its cultural value, the tree is a vital early-successional species that helps stabilize soil on disturbed slopes and provides critical food for native pollinators and migrating birds.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 8
- **Habitat:** Typically found in open woodlands, forest margins, thickets, and disturbed mountain slopes across East Asia.

![Chinese Sumac](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/77403922/medium.jpeg)

Photo: no rights reserved, uploaded by 葉子, CC0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/77403922)

## Appearance

Growing between 2 and 10 meters tall, the Chinese Sumac features pinnately compound leaves with a highly distinctive winged leaf stem (rachis) between the leaflets. Each leaf has 7 to 13 tooth-edged, oval leaflets that are dark green above and covered in velvety brownish hair underneath. In late summer, the tree produces large, upright, branched clusters of creamy-yellow or off-white flowers, which eventually give way to dense bunches of small, hairy, reddish-orange fruits. During autumn, the entire canopy turns a fiery crimson and bright orange.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Sapindales
- **Family:** Anacardiaceae
- **Genus:** Rhus

## Interesting facts

- Its fruits are coated in a salty, acidic substance that traditional foragers have long used to sour soups or wash into a tart, lemonade-like drink.
- The genus name Rhus is derived from an ancient Greek word meaning 'red', paying homage to the spectacular autumn foliage and colorful berries.
- The hollow leaf galls produced by this tree contain up to 70% tannic acid, making them one of the richest natural sources of tannins in the world.

## Special abilities

- **Gall-Hosting Symbiosis:** Successfully hosts parasitic aphids that stimulate the tree to grow large, nutrient-rich galls, which serve as protective insect nurseries while enriching the plant's defense chemicals.
- **Soil-Stabilizing Roots:** Features a rapidly spreading, fibrous root system that binds loose soil, making it highly effective at preventing erosion on steep, degraded hillsides.
- **High Tannin Defense:** Accumulates exceptionally high levels of chemical tannins in its tissues to deter herbivores and fungal pathogens.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 200-1000 cm
- **Lifespan:** 20-50 years

## Diet & Feeding

The Chinese Sumac produces its own energy via photosynthesis, utilizing sunlight, atmospheric carbon dioxide, and water while absorbing essential nutrients from the soil.

- **Primary Foods:** Sunlight, Carbon Dioxide, Water, Soil Nitrogen, Phosphorus

## Ecological connections

- **Host plant:** Chinese Sumac Aphid (*Schlechtendalia chinensis*) — Hosts the aphid that stimulates the tree to form highly sought-after medicinal galls on the leaves.
- **Mutualism:** Western Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Attracts various honey bees to its large clusters of summer blossoms for nectar and pollen.
- **Eaten by:** Brown-eared Bulbul (*Hypsipetes amaurotis*) — Feeds on the small, acidic fruits during late autumn and winter, dispersing the seeds in the process.

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Chinese Sumac?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is Chinese Sumac?

200-1000 cm

### How long does Chinese Sumac live?

20-50 years

### What does Chinese Sumac eat?

The Chinese Sumac produces its own energy via photosynthesis, utilizing sunlight, atmospheric carbon dioxide, and water while absorbing essential nutrients from the soil.

### Where is Chinese Sumac usually found?

Typically found in open woodlands, forest margins, thickets, and disturbed mountain slopes across East Asia.

## Where to spot

- [Rutgers Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/rutgers-gardens) — New Jersey, US · Botanical Garden

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Chinese Sumac: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/chinese-sumac)