Evergreen sumac (Rhus virens) is a beautiful large native shrub with edible berries that also attracts birds to your yard. As the name suggests, it will keep its leaves year round, except in cooler locations where it will drop them all in winter and then grow them back within a week.
It’s a fairly fast grower, and tolerates almost any kind of well-draining soils. It does not like to be mulched or in any area where the soil doesn’t dry quickly. It will grow to about 8 to 10 feet tall and about as wide, so give it lots of space. It does not require fertilizer, either, so once established it’s a pretty low-maintenance plant.
It’s thought to be originally native to the Chihuahuan Desert, but has spread into the Sonoran Desert over time. It likes sun or part shade, and flowers in the spring or summer. The flowers are white. The beautiful red berries appear soon after and are edible, if reportedly tart; they contain lots of vitamin C. They are described as similar to tamarind in flavor. They can be eaten fresh, dried or made into a tea.
Evergreen sumac’s thick, dark green foliage makes it a great candidate for an informal screening hedge, and in appearance it is fairly similar to photinia (but native and much more drought-tolerant). It does not like to be pruned much, however.
This shrub is a great one to have for wildlife — birds love the berries and pollinators love the flowers.
Watch now: These beautiful native plants will be a great addition to your Tucson garden. Video by Dominika Heusinkveld/Arizona Daily Star.
