Invasive Plant Factsheet
Also known as Chinese or Stinking Sumac, this plant was introduced from China in 1784 as a specimen and shade tree. It was commonly found in nurseries by 1840 and has been popular in urban plantings ever since. This rapidly-growing tree has now overwhelmed natural areas in over 30 states and is reported as invasive in both Arlington and Alexandria as well as in many national parks in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC.
Native Alternatives
- Carya glabra (Pignut Hickory)
- Carya ovata (Shagbark Hickory)
- Juglans nigra (Black Walnut)
- Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweetgum)
- Oxydendrum arboreum (Sourwood)
- Rhus glabra (Smooth Sumac)
- Rhus typhina (Staghorn Sumac)
- Sassafras albidum (Sassafras)
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Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
