Rhus chinensis Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Rhus chinensis — 23cm / 5L (Collection Only)23cm / 5L (Collection Only)
Rhus chinensis Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Chinese Sumac (Nutgall Tree)

Rhus chinensis

£42.99
Hardy in the UKSun-lovingLoved by pollinators
Pot size
23cm / 5L (Collection Only) £42.99

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Description

Rhus chinensis, the Chinese sumac or nutgall tree, is the sumac that saves its show for the end of the season: large, luxuriant pinnate leaves all summer, then, in August and September when other sumacs are done, big creamy flower plumes over the canopy, and finally an October blaze of scarlet, flame and crimson that few small trees can match.

It is H5 hardy, fast, drought-tolerant and content in poor soil, growing into a broad-crowned small tree of 4 to 6 m that reads pure jungle in full leaf. In China its leaf galls have supplied tannin for inks and medicine for two thousand years; here it just supplies the drama.

How and where to grow

  • Position: full sun, ideally backlit by low autumn light.
  • Soil: any well-drained soil, poor and stony included.
  • Size: 4-6 m, broad-crowned; easily kept smaller.
  • Hardiness: H5, no caveats.

Plant it as the canopy of an exotic border or a freestanding specimen beside our other sumacs, 'Tiger Eyes' and R. glabra 'Laciniata'. Late pollinators work the plumes hard, and it holds a proud place in hardy exotics.

Nursery-grown young trees. Care notes in the seasonal expectations guide.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Chinese Sumac (Nutgall Tree)

Plant me in full sun and I will stand a UK winter outdoors.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Chinese Sumac (Nutgall Tree)

Rhus chinensis needs full sun and well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −15°C and stands a UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Architectural Exotic Borders Wildlife & Pollinators

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

Hardy Exotic (H5): down to around −15°C. Hardy through a cold UK winter.

Fully hardy, H5. No winter protection needed once planted. Read moreShow less

Fully hardy, H5. No winter protection needed once planted.

Position

Full sunSouth-facingWest-facingEast-facingShelteredExposed
Full sun for the best flowering and autumn colour. Read moreShow less

Full sun for the best flowering and autumn colour.

Soil

ChalkClayLoamSandWell-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH
Any well-drained soil, including poor and stony ground. Read moreShow less

Any well-drained soil, including poor and stony ground.

Watering

Water in the first summer; drought tolerant thereafter. Read moreShow less

Water in the first summer; drought tolerant thereafter.

Mature size

Height4-6 m
Spread3-5 m

Reaches full size in 10-20 years

Growth habit

Bushy

Flowering

Aug-Sep · Cream, White

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Deciduous

Pruning

Minimal: remove dead or crossing wood in late winter; wear gloves against the sap.

Toxicity

Sap can irritate sensitive skin; wear gloves when pruning. Not the poison sumac.

Native range

China, E. Asia

Family

Anacardiaceae

Also known as

Rhus chinensis

Genus

Rhus
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Rhus chinensis?

The Chinese sumac or nutgall tree: a fast, spreading small tree with big, luxuriant pinnate leaves, and the sumac that flowers when the others have finished, large creamy plumes in August and September, before the foliage ignites scarlet and orange for autumn.

How does it differ from stag's horn sumac?

It flowers far later and more showily, in big cream panicles rather than red candles, and it suckers less aggressively. We also grow Rhus typhina 'Tiger Eyes' and R. glabra 'Laciniata' for comparison.

How good is the autumn colour?

Among the best of any small tree: the great pinnate leaves turn scarlet, flame-orange and crimson in October, often while the cream flower plumes are still fading. Plant it where low sun can backlight the show.

Is sumac safe to handle?

Garden sumacs are not the notorious poison sumac, but their milky sap can irritate sensitive skin, so wear gloves when pruning. Otherwise it is a robust, trouble-free tree.

How big does it grow?

To a broad-crowned 4 to 6 m over the years, fast at first, and easily kept smaller. It reads as a jungle canopy in leaf yet asks nothing in return.

Why is it called the nutgall tree?

In China, aphid galls on its leaves have been harvested for two millennia as a source of tannin for inks, dyes and medicine. In Britain it skips the galls and keeps the history.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Why Grow Tropicals

Plants delivered the way they deserve

Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Rhus chinensis
£42.99