G97-1319 Management of Smooth Sumac on Grasslands

Authors

John Ortmann, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Katherine L. Miles, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
James L. Stubbendieck, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Walter H. Schacht, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

1997

Comments

© 1997, The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska on behalf of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension. All rights reserved.

Abstract

The herbicide 2,4-D LV4 ester provides excellent low-cost smooth sumac control. Prescribed burning before herbicide application does not substantially improve sumac control, but may ease herbicide application and provide other benefits.

Smooth sumac (Rhus glabra L.) is a native deciduous shrub that forms dense thickets from widely spreading roots. It is found in the Sandhills, mixed-grass, and tallgrass areas throughout Nebraska. Introduced cool-season grasses, such as Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), invade the thickets, and production of desirable forage species is reduced below the dense canopies. Trees and other shrubs readily establish in aging sumac thickets, accelerating the conversion of grassland to woodland. Small amounts of smooth sumac may be desirable because it provides wildlife habitat and food and has attractive fall foliage.