Worst case scenario for Sumac Tree missing dormancy?

mcgyvr2009i

13 years ago

Hi. Before this winter started, I dug up a wild sumac seedling, and this WOULD be it's first winter dormancy. You see, it was right next to my lilac(the one that got pummeled by a snow plow and is NOT destroyed but doing just fine) and if I thought about it sooner, I would have dug it up sooner and planted it elsewhere. But I was too late, and the frost has knocked off the foliage well before I dug it up. So, I stuck it in another pot that I had outside this winter, but I stuck what was in the pot in the ground at last minute so that I would have a bigger pot for my coconut palm, so because of the trauma the sumac went through, I just said, "Screw it!" and I brought it inside in the beginning of December. It has fricken gorges foliage right now, but this is supposed to be its first full winter dormancy and is being denied it. Will that kill it? Or was the frost that knocked off the foliage enough for this winter? If I stick it in the ground FAR away from my garden(since it's an invasive plant), will it survive a zone 5b winter the next year? This was actually a weed sumac tree, so it's definitely a baby from a wild specimen somewhere. Will it think it's in a warm climate if it's first dormancy is only about a few weeks or will it still remain hardy to my zone?

I really don't want to be responsible for screwing up the life of a beautiful baby sumac if I can help it. If I screwed up the sumac's ability to survive these winters, how would I train it to thrive here? I did all of this, so if I ruined the hardiness, I'm willing to go through all the trouble to fix it no matter how hard it may be. I love these plants that much.

Thanks in advanced.

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Comments (6)

scotjute Z8
13 years ago
If I'm following you correctly, its a wild specimen and it should survive the winter being outside. I'd stick it outside if it's still dormant. If it has releafed while inside(am I reading that correctly)it would be more touchy for its survival to put it back outside now. Tree would be stressed to lose another set of foliage. Might just leave it inside and plant out in the spring. It should still remain hardy to your zone.
What type of Sumac is it? I have a Prairie Flameleaf Sumac growing on edge of yard. Its a dependable source of color in the fall down here.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
13 years ago
I really don't want to be responsible for screwing up the life of a beautiful baby sumac

==>> little late for that.. dont you think ...

fully leafed.. in z5.. it can NOT go outside ... now.. it was 9 degrees in my z5 this morning ...

it should have been left outdoors ...

ignore it.. water it properly.. and put it outside when appropriate in spring ...

its a free range seedling/sucker .. go get another if this one fails.. and plant it in mother earth ...

what it will do.. once back outdoors.. i have no clue.. but its a 'run it over with the truck' type of plant ... i doubt you can kill it ... short of not watering it ... [ignoring bringing it indoors and fertilizing it for winter.. lol]

that said.. i dont know why you are importing invasives into your yard.. no matter how big your yard... there are some things.. that are better off enjoyed.. at 65 miles per hour.. as you drive past them on the rural backroads.. lol ...

invest in the pretty .. foo foo-colored one.. that is less aggressive .. and hopefully sterile .. and leave these road swallowing monsters for the roadside ...

ken
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mcgyvr2009i
Original Author
13 years ago
// "What type of Sumac is it? " // Well, I'm not quite sure what species it is sadly, but I know it's not poison sumac as I don't get rashes when I touch the foliage or the trunk.

I just really love trees, even if they're invasive. I keep my invasive plants in flower pots so it's easier to control them. You could say, I'm insane when it comes to trees. :-)
strobiculate
13 years ago
I'd stick in the coldest part of the house, stop watering it, and when the leaves fall off, transfer it to a garage or unheated porch for a couple of weeks, then put it in a snowbank.

worst case scenario? it dies. The good news, it's a sumac, there's only about a kajillion of them out there.

my gut reaction? I really don't know. never heard of this being tried with sumac, so I can't even cite anecdotal tales. but i'd be surprised if there would be an adverse effect...it's a sumac.
scotjute Z8
13 years ago
I vote for keeping it alive indoors and planting out in the spring. Be sure to update this post with the results. Down here Sumac have leaves for 8-9 months out of the year. Yours should be fine. Enjoy it as a house plant thru the winter.
brandon7 TN_zone7
13 years ago
Just a side note:

I really doubt the tree is invasive. So far as I can tell, New York does not currently recognize ANY Rhus species as an invasive issue. I'll even bet it's one of the native species!

I think you may be getting the term invasive mixed up with the word aggressive. Invasive plants damage the environment, aggressive plants may be a nuisance to you as a gardener but are not harmful to your local flora or fauna.