Few plants are as indestructible as sumac. Tough as nails, it will grow anywhere, you can't dig it up (without a backhoe, that is), you certainly can't pull any of the suckers up, cut it down and it grows right back. It lines roadsides, stabilizes slopes, and puts on a fabulous color show in autumn. There is just one problem - it suckers like it's trying to take over the world. Maybe it is.
For decades the main sumacs available were staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina),
and smooth sumac (Rhus glabra).
These two species sucker like the dickens. This trait has historically hurt sumac's retail nursery sales; unless you were the DOT or had a back forty where it could roam happily, very few "average homeowners" every bought the plant.
The only other alternative was Gro-Low Sumac (Rhus aromatica 'Gro-Low').
Definitely more landscapable than staghorn or smooth, but Gro-Low still tends to create colonies as well.
Enter Tiger Eyes Sumac (Rhus typhina 'Bailtiger').
Not only is Tiger Eyes much smaller (6 feet / 1.8 m high & wide) than staghorn and smooth sumac (both 10 feet / 3 m high and colonizing) it has bright yellow foliage with a slight cutleaf...
| oooh.... |
and a bright orange fall color to boot.
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| ahhh... |
And the best part? It doesn't sucker! What? That's amazing! The general gardening public instantly fell in love and garden centers could barely keep the plant stocked. Tiger Eyes was planted in garden beds, next to front doors, and generally showcased as the featured specimen in countless landscapes. I was working at a garden center when Tiger Eyes was released in 2004-2005 and readily admitted that it was a beautiful plant. But my eyebrows certainly raised when I heard the claim of it being sucker-less. It's a sumac; suckering is what sumacs do. My manager shared my skepticism and said that only time will tell.
Fast forward about four years.
Hey! What's that near my Tiger Eyes sumac? There's another one. And another! Is that....? It is! A baby Tiger Eyes sumac. Yes, the Wonder Sumac that doesn't sucker, does in fact sucker, and is beginning to set up colonies, even popping up on the other side of sidewalks.
:::cough::: I told you so.
Granted, Tiger Eyes does not sucker as aggressively as the species, so it is more manageable. Besides, if your landscaping allows it, a bonus Tiger Eyes is always great. The new plant coming up from the sucker is essentially a clone of the parent plant, so it will share all the ornamental features that Tiger Eyes boasts.
Recently a new highway was built in my area. Last year they completed the landscaping of the berms, hills, and clover leaf centers. Naturally they used staghorn sumac. But I couldn't help but notice the new addition to the DOT plant pallette:
Tiger Eyes Sumac.
*all photos are courtesy of Google Images.
Hi Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteJust wondering if I grow the Tiger Eye sumac in a pot, with the bottom of the pot cut out and put the whole pot in the ground, so the roots would grow downwards and not sideway, would this control the suckering? I read about this on the net but no one has answered this question before. Could you? Thanks
Jez
I haven't known or heard of anyone trying this with sumac, but I can make a guess as to what might happen. I think it will delay the suckering, and eventually the roots and shoots will escape through the bottom of the pot and angle their way back to the surface. All plants are "programmed" to have their roots a certain distance underground, and all plants have built-in survival techniques, such as suckering or producing lots of seeds. These characteristics are in over-drive in sumacs. That's why we find baby Tiger Eyes on the other side of sidewalks, etc. If their suckers are so tough and persistent to make it through the compacted soil/gravel under concrete, then they'll think nothing of a plastic pot without a bottom in garden soil.
ReplyDeleteOh, I just had an idea! Perhaps you could sink the intact pot, and have several spots in the garden you could move it to throughout the year. The constant moving might prevent the escaping roots/shoots from establishing themselves in one location. And you could enjoy the Tiger Eye in different spots without having multiple plants!
I guess it all comes down to if the maintenance required to keep Tiger Eyes in check is worth having the pretty plant.
Good luck! I hope this helped.
Help! one of our Tiger eyes was damaged this year by the harsh winter I believe. The main trunk split and everything above 2' died off. If I cut all of the dead wood off which includes the main trunk will it survive? The runners this year are crazy probably because that's where all the energy is going. Should I just pick a sucker and let it rip, cutting down the old damaged one?
ReplyDelete