Winged Sumac (Rhus copallinum): Quercus Score 90 in North Carolina

90

Keystone

Quercus Score for North Carolina · 5 of 5 factor datasets used; missing records do not prove absence (genus-level)

Native. The Rhus genus feeds 57 caterpillar species in NC, draws 52 bee species in the Southeast; 32 bird species have recorded feeding interactions with this genus in North America. Strong for caterpillars, bees and birds. Includes +3 provisional points for additional documented insect groups.

Insect resources, birds and habitat

Bars show recorded counts on a linear scale. Each category runs from zero to its largest count in this NC plant catalog; the same scale applies across plant pages. Compare plants within a category, not bar lengths across categories. Zero records may mean missing research. Growth form is shown as text.

Caterpillars

57 spp. on genus (NC)
Scale: 0–496

Bees

52 spp. on genus (Southeast)
Scale: 0–176

Specialists

0 specialist bee spp. (East)
Scale: 0–45

Birds

32 recorded bird spp. (N. America)
Scale: 0–58

Structure

Shrub, Tree

Soil

not yet scored

Additional insect evidence

Bar length follows recorded-name count on the displayed scale, not ecological importance. Unknown is not zero support. Flower visits do not confirm feeding or pollination. Named insects may include historical or unresolved names.

Ants

1 recorded names; seed consumption (USA/Canada)
Scale: 0–20

Beetles

unknown: no matched records
Scale: 0–12

Flies

11 recorded names; flower visits (Illinois)
Scale: 0–74

Adult butterflies / moths

unknown: no matched records
Scale: 0–15

Other wasps

18 recorded names; flower visits (Illinois)
Scale: 0–75

Other insects

unknown: no matched records
Scale: 0–5

Provisional additional insect credit: +3 (maximum 5). Scoring rule and limitations. Study references and interaction records are included in this plant’s data record.

Fit for your county

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Overwintering: no reviewed hardiness guidance loaded. Heat tolerance is not assessed.

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How Fit works · Agent packet

NC status (state rank)	S5
Grows in	usually drier ground (wetland occurrence proxy: FACU; not a measured watering requirement)
Soil pH range	5.3–7.5
Light	part sun to full sun (USDA PLANTS shade class 'High', read inverted (coarse))
Recorded in NC	Coastal Plain, Mountains, Piedmont; recorded in 83 counties (USDA)
Single-host caterpillars on genus	4
How the number was set	Base score 90, no adjustment (common in NC). Scoring uses relative ranks; display bars show counts. Caterpillar, bee and bird data are by genus.

Sources

Machine-readable: rhus-copallinum.json. Cite as: Quercus Score v0.6.4, Rhus copallinum, North Carolina, 2026-09-24.