Rhus typhina Tiger Eyes - Stag's Horn Sumach

The Rhus typhina 'Tiger Eyes', also known as Staghorn Sumac or Golden Sumac, is a recent and non-invasive variety. Combining many qualities, it is a bush with long pinnate leaves deeply cut, evolving from spring chartreuse green to flaming red in autumn through a gradient of pink, salmon and orange. Its velvety amaranth conical clusters of fruit remain throughout the winter on the downy branches. Resistant and versatile, it is ideal for all gardens.

The Golden Staghorn Sumac 'Tiger Eyes' is a bush belonging to the Anacardiaceae family. It grows quickly and can reach a height of 3m (10 ft 9 in) and a width of 4m (1 ft 13 in) when fully grown. This bush has a rounded shape with only a few branches. The leaves are large and beautiful, measuring 30 to 50 cm (11.8 to 19.7 in) long, and are deeply cut into smaller leaflets. The leaves start as bright green in the spring and then change colours to yellow, pink, salmon, orange, and finally red. The bush produces flowers from June to July in dense, greenish cone-shaped clusters 16 to 25 cm (6.3 - 9.8 in) long. This bush is also a good source of food for bees. After the flowers bloom, the bush produces velvety, intense red drupes grouped in clusters on female trees. The bush stems are brown-red and covered in velvet, giving them a unique look in the winter.

Plant Rhus typhina 'Tiger Eyes' in any soil, even if it's chalky, poor, stony, dry, or moist but well-drained. It can grow well in partial shade or full sun, but it's best to put it in a location with at least six hours of direct sunlight per day for intense autumn colours. A wind-sheltered place is better to keep its foliage looking good. Without pruning, this sumac bush will become a small tree. To keep it looking nice, cut off dead or tangled branches before vegetation starts (from February to April). Unlike most sumacs, it doesn't spread rampantly, and you only need to remove suckers occasionally.

The Golden Staghorn Sumac is an excellent choice for providing light shade and sheltering perennial plants like peonies, brunneras, bluebells, snowdrops, and daffodils in spring or cyclamen in autumn. When planted alone, it can also be a beautiful feature, offering a lovely view year-round. For a more vibrant background, it can be grown in a hedge with European spindles, Persian ironwoods, smoke trees, or castor oil plants. This bush is quite resistant to drought and tolerant to pollution and sea spray, which makes it suitable for different growing conditions.

It's important to note that the Staghorn Sumac contains a toxic milky sap in its branches, which can cause asthma and allergies, though it's used in homoeopathy. Birds love the fruits of the Staghorn Sumac, and can be soaked in water to make a refreshing and tangy drink, which is why it's also called the vinegar tree.