Rhus potaninii (Chinese Sumac, Potanin Sumac)

Rhus potaninii (Chinese Sumac, Potanin Sumac) is a deciduous tree belonging to the Anacardiaceae family. Native to China, specifically the provinces of Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, and Sichuan, it is named after the Russian explorer Grigory Potanin, who first collected specimens of the plant. The Chinese Sumac tree typically reaches a height of 10 to 20 meters (33 to 66 feet) and forms a spreading canopy with a rounded or irregular crown. It has a moderate growth rate and develops a multi-stemmed or single-trunked structure. The bark of mature trees is grayish-brown and becomes rough and furrowed with age. The leaves of Rhus potaninii are pinnately compound and alternate along the branches. Each leaf is composed of several leaflets, usually 9 to 15, which are elliptical in shape and serrated along the edges. The leaflets have a glossy, dark green color and turn brilliant shades of red, orange, and yellow in the fall, adding to the tree's ornamental value. During late spring to early summer