Staghorn Sumac vs Canada Plum - TreeTime.ca

Staghorn Sumac vs Canada Plum

Rhus typhina

Prunus nigra

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Staghorn Sumac
Canada Plum

Staghorn Sumac is a popular ornamental shrub with red velvet like antlers that produce seeds that provide nice winter interest for landscapers and gardeners.

This low-maintenance plant is a great addition to any garden it is also used in shelterbelts.

Canada Plum is a cold-hardy wild plum native to North America with small red fruit. They ripen in mid to late summer, with bitter, astringent skin surrounding sweet, slightly acidic flesh that clings to the stone. While some enjoy eating the plums fresh, they are more commonly used for baking and preserves. It is considered a universal pollinizer for other plum varieties and is often used for grafting or as a rootstock.

White to pink flowers appear in spring, often before the leaves, providing an early source of nectar and pollen for native bees and other pollinators. Birds and other wildlife also feed on the fruit, adding to its ecological value. Canada Plum can grow as a small tree or large, multi-stemmed shrub. It is well suited to a variety of projects, including fruit orchards for cross-pollination, as well as pollinator plantings, naturalization, and restoration projects.

Staghorn Sumac Quick Facts

Canada Plum Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 2b
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Suckering: low
Suckering: high


Fall colour: attractive yellow, gold
Bark: grey and scaly with age
Flowers: small, green-yellow
Flowers: white
Fruit: small, red
Fruit: under 1 inch round yellow fruits with red blush to completely red, tart skin with sweet flesh
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: ON, QC, NS, NB, PE
Native to: MB, ON, QC, NB
Other Names: stags horn sumach, velvet sumac
Other Names: american plum, black plum, canada plum, horse plum, wild plum