How do you know if a plant is a nativar or cultivar? Scientific botanical names should be written in italics with the genus name capitalized and the species name in lower case. The name of the cultivar should not be italicized but enclosed by single quotes following the species name. i.e Rhus (genus) aromatica (species) ‘Gro Low’ (cultivar). Another example is Betula nigra ‘Heritage,’ a familiar cultivar of the native river birch commonly available in nurseries. I also recently planted this “nativar” in my garden.
I admit, I have been careless in displaying cultivar names in some of my posts but now that I have a clear understanding of this naming system, I will make it a point to correctly display all cultivars and nativars. A good nursery will also make it a point to display plant names properly.
Are nativars the same as planting a native plant? I have heard yes and no. My experience is somewhat limited as my garden is still quite young. Nativars may be developed to produce less berries (less mess) which would defeat the purpose of planting a berry plant for me – the main reason I like to plant native is for wildlife value and berries are valuable! So, in that situation the answer would be no. But I will agree that sometimes a nativar is a better option for those of us with limited space as in the case of the Gro Low Fragrant Sumac. Its size in particular makes it a better choice to grow alongside my “Nice Driveway” as well as its preference for a well drained soil in full sun.
And as for berries? Gro Low Sumac will produce fuzzy red berries attractive to birds. Interestingly, I’ve read some nativars of Gro Low are monoecious, having both male and female flowers on the same plant while most are more commonly dioecious, requiring a male plant to pollinate a female plant. The male flowers are small catkins and the female flowers appear in clusters which then form berries. All I observe on mine are catkins (male), so I think mine may be an all male plant and I am now on the lookout for a Gro Low plant that displays female flowers.
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Male Catkins |
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Male Catkins |
In Spring both male and female yellow flowers form a delicate eye-catching haze. Gro Low is also an accepted larval host of the Red-Banded Hairstreak Butterfly. It also makes a great alternative to the invasive Burning Bush – its Fall color is fantastic! You won’t have to prune it into a “cupcake,” either. Mine is still putting on a great show while all the Burning Bushes in the neighborhood are now bare. Consider using this shrub as a ground cover as well. It would be a great choice for an awkward slope. Mine softens the edge of our over-sized driveway nicely.
Most of the plants selected for my garden have some type of wildlife value. Natives tend to offer the best wildlife value which is why I feature native plants in my “Going Native” posts for other gardeners to consider. Sumacs are highly valuable to wildlife but can be large or suckering so if you have a small garden, a nativar such as Gro Low Sumac offers a happy medium. I have another bird-planted (?) Sumac variety growing in my garden that I believe is truly native. It may not be the best choice for the space but hey, if it fell free from the sky, why not try. Once I’m confident that I’ve identified it correctly, I’ll share it with you.
11/09/2012 at 10:01 am
Kathy,Love Fragrant Sumac. I use it a lot in designs and the clients always love it. Yours has exceptional fall color!Heather
11/09/2012 at 11:57 pm
I have always admired the native sumac. This nativar is gorgeous, and I hope it becomes available in my area!
11/10/2012 at 10:40 am
Wanted a native sumac for the garden but will also try this as space is limited. I am also trying to get better and labeling plant names correctly and just read how to do this as well..I think using nativars is great when we can't find a native or space is limited.
11/12/2012 at 5:30 am
I, too, try and plant natives because I want to attract wildlife. I am so happy to see that native plants are being called out as such.
01/04/2014 at 3:07 pm
Great blog! I love the term Nativar. I think I have a few in my garden too, like the Aronia melanocarpa “Nero” black chokecherry that has oodles more berries than the species and doesn’t get as big. It’s also gorgeous in fall like your sumac. Thanks for this informative and beautiful post.
Happy Gardening,
Steve
05/19/2014 at 3:03 pm
Hey – all my “Gro Lows” are female so maybe we can help each other out!
05/20/2014 at 8:38 am
That would be great! How to divided a gro low? I will look for any babies or maybe a stem rooted and I can mail to you?
06/27/2014 at 6:22 pm
Oops! Am just seeing this a month later. I’ll look into vegetative propagation. In the meantime, are you on Facebook? We can use that as a way to exchange addresses, etc. Look for Bridget Looney in Gillette, New Jersey. In my picture I have pale skin and dark hair pulled back.
03/29/2016 at 12:26 pm
hi do you still have female lo grow? mine are only male as well and i really need female!!
03/29/2016 at 2:30 pm
Hi cj glynn, I have not found a source but I have to admit I’ve been too busy to track one down. If I do find a source I will try to post about it so that you have the information. Thank you, Kathy
05/04/2016 at 8:16 pm
HI Kathy, Actually I think I have solved the mystery of the grow-lo sumac. I read in Michael Dirr’s book that they are female clones. I too thought mine were male because it looked like catkins. However, I managed to find a male fragrant sumac (not grow lo) and planted it near my slope of grow lo…low and behold we now have tons of berries forming on the plants! In other words, I believe they all are female clones and the only way to get berries is to buy a rhus aromatica that isn’t a cultivar..and that is a male.
05/05/2016 at 9:10 am
This is most excellent news! Thank you CJ. I remember reading that the cultivars were asexual or something which is why I thought I would have berries … but now zee mystery is solved!
05/05/2016 at 9:41 am
If there is a way to attach a photo I’d post one!
05/05/2016 at 5:58 pm
You could email me one and I’ll post it with credit to you?