Japanese Maple vs Smooth Sumac

Japanese Maple is one of the most popular accent maples. Its long, fingered lobed leaves can be variegated in the summer with lighter shades of green, red, or even purple. Its autumn colour is a brilliant red that is uncommon in most plants, which adds nice contrast to your yard when planted near other trees.


The Japanese Maple is a diverse variety, there are over 1,000 cultivars with different sizes, shapes, and colours.

This species is extremely popular with bonsai enthusiasts.

Smooth Sumac is an excellent shrub for both its ornamental appeal and tolerance of difficult planting sites. You'll love the attractive pyramidal spikes of hairy, red berries that emerge on female plants and the fern-like foliage that covers both male and female varieties.

Ensure you give Smooth Sumac enough space to spread out due to its high suckering nature. While not ideal for small, urban yards, this shrub will make a stunning border along a woodland edge or roadside.

Note:These plants typically reach maturity and make their sex easily known (females producing fruit) in their 3rd or 4th year of growth. Our seedlings are too young to identify their sex.

Compare Japanese Maple with

Compare Smooth Sumac with