Thimbleberry vs Smooth Sumac - TreeTime.ca

Thimbleberry vs Smooth Sumac

Rhus glabra

Rubus parviflorus

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Smooth Sumac
Thimbleberry

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.

Thimbleberry is an ornamental shrub with large, green maple-like-leaves. Flowers are attractive, fragrant, and turn into red-raspberry-like berries. The berries are good for jams, cakes, breads, muffins etc. If you remove the berry, the core resembles a thimble, giving this shrub its namesake.

Smooth Sumac Quick Facts

Thimbleberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 4a
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 2.1 m (7 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: any
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Suckering: high
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: long, thin
Foliage: Soft leaves up to 8 inches across
Fall colour: scarlet red
Fall colour: gold
Flowers: white, showy
Berries: edible, red, similar to raspberries
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: BC, SK, MB, ON
Native to: AB, BC, ON
Other Names: thimbleberry, western thimbleberry