Rhus ovata
Sugar bush · also Sugar sumac, Sugarbush
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Rhus ovata is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to chaparral ecosystems in Southern California, Arizona, and Baja California, living up to 100 years. Its dense foliage is conspicuous, and its fruit can be used to make a lemonade-like drink, though its sap can cause a rash.
Where it grows
Trees in each city's inventory, with the share of that city's named trees this species accounts for.
- 190.00%35 yr7.5 in
Traits
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Mature height
- 5–10 ft
- Canopy spread
- 5–10 ft
- Lifespan
- 100 years
- Water needs
- Low
- Drought tolerance
- High
- Wildlife value
- High
- Blooms
- Mar, Apr, May
Trunk diameters across every city: median 7.5 in, mean 7.1 in, 90th percentile 7.5 in. Measured at breast height, as published by each inventory.
Native range
Terrestrial ecoregions where this species is native. Trees in the dataset mostly stand well outside it.
Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands & Scrub
- California coastal sage and chaparral
- California interior chaparral and woodlands
- California montane chaparral and woodlands
Deserts & Xeric Shrublands
- Baja California desert
- Gulf of California xeric scrub
Temperate Conifer Forests
- Arizona Mountains forests
Other Rhus in the catalogue
9 of the top 2,000 species are in this genus.
